


Your Reality

by Zeshaika



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel), Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Anxiety, Death, Depression, Egobang - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Abuse, MC!Dan, Psychological Horror, References to Sexual Themes, Self-Harm, Suicide, Transfer Student!Arin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-03-02 01:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 189,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13307121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeshaika/pseuds/Zeshaika
Summary: (A DDLC/Game Grumps AU). Dan is an average high school student with little ambition in his life. Pressured by his childhood friend, he quickly finds himself joining the Literature Club. Surrounded by four cute ladies, and a mysterious transfer student, will Dan's life become a romantic fairy tale? Or will his reality crumble into a tragic horror?





	1. Welcome to the Literature Club!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, everyone! So, while watching the Grumps playthrough of DDLC I got a little idea for a crossover AU. Apologies in advance if a lot of the early scenes follow the game dialogue kind of closely---there's sort of a reason for that, and things will probably start to deviate a little more by later chapters. Also, updates on this story might not be as frequent as I would like, due to real-life workloads and my own slow writing pace. Please be patient with me. 
> 
> Thank you, and feedback is always appreciated!

  The morning sun glimmered peacefully through the trees that dotted the suburban street that Dan Avidan currently walked down.  A gentle, autumn wind ruffled the few stray chestnut curls that hadn’t been tied back into a low ponytail.  Around him, a small clusters of students, some dressed in uniforms similar to his, trekked forward, chatting idly about various topics. Occasionally, one or two of them would give him a quick glance as he passed, before returning back to their conversation.  
  
    Dan sighed to himself as he mentally prepared for what he assumed would be another typical day. He’d spend way several hours staring out the window, daydreaming when he should have been listening to the teacher’s long, droning lecture that he was sure he would have forgotten five minutes later, even if he had been paying attention.  
  
    “Hey, Danny!” a high-pitched, cheerful voice rang from behind him, “Danny, wait up!”  
  
    Dan smiled as he turned toward the sound of the voice. A girl clad in a grey blazer jacket similar to Dan’s, waved her arms enthusiastically, seemingly unconcerned with accidentally hitting someone or drawing attention to herself, as she clumsily bounded down the street toward him. Her bright red hairbow bobbed dangerously, threatening to fly off of her short pink hair as she ran toward him.  
  
    Dan stopped, patiently waiting for her at the crosswalk. The girl huffed, panting as she caught her breath.  
  
    “‘Morning Sayori,” Dan greeted her with a wave.  
  
    “I overslept again!” Sayori said between breaths,”But I finally caught up to you this time!”  
  
    “Only because I stopped and waited for you,” Dan joked, with a sly wink, “And I almost didn’t even do that.”  
  
    A troubled frown crept onto the the edges of Sayori’s lips as her blue eyes narrowed into a hurt glare.

“So you were thinking of just leaving me, then?” she sighed, “That’s really mean, Danny!”  
  
    Almost immediately, a small knot of guilt tied itself in Dan’s stomach, as part of him wanted to apologize. But, another part of him reassured, he and Sayori had been friends since they were kids. Both of them knew each other well enough to know when the other was only joking, or when they’d actually crossed a line.  
  
    Or at least, that’s what Dan had believed.  
  
    Ever since they’d entered high school, he noted a subtle change come over Sayori. When she wasn’t oversleeping and nearly being late for class, she seemed occasionally more distracted than usual.  
  
    Of course, Dan figured, it could have just as easily been nothing unusual, as well. After all, she still acted like her cheerful and lively self around everyone. Perhaps it was just the usual stress of high school and preparing for college?  
  
    Still, sometimes when he looked at Sayori, he couldn’t help but feel worried for her. It was as if she were wearing a mask of porcelain held together by string, and that the slightest wrong thing could cause everything to unravel and the mask to shatter on the floor.  
  
    Dan didn’t want to think about what would happen if it ever did.  
  
    “Anyways,” she giggled, her expression softening, “You still waited up for me. So, I guess you really can’t be all that mean, even if you were trying to be.”  
  
    For now, Dan sighed to himself as he saw the smile return to Sayori’s face, she was happy.  
    And that made him happy.  
  
    A comfortable silence fell between them as they crossed the street, entering the school yard. The clusters of students standing about had grown considerably, Dan noticed. At least most of the students seemed to still be outside, he thought. That at least meant that he and Sayori weren’t late for class.  
  
    “By the way, Danny,” Sayori spoke, breaking the silence, “Have you decided about which club you want to join, yet?”  
  
    Dan winced, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. He remembered that Sayori and him had talked about joining clubs sometime at the beginning of the year. But, he’d admittedly hadn’t put much thought into it since that conversation.     
  
    “I already joined a club” he joked with a smirk, “It’s the ‘Probably Not Joining a Club’ Club. Already had t-shirts made and everything. We’re thinking about hostingan event at the school festival.”

“Danny!" Sayori whined, stamping her foot “That’s not funny! You promised me you’d join a club this year!”  
  
    “Eh..,” Dan blushed and embarrassed shade of pink that almost matched Sayori’s hair, “Well....about that....”  
  
    The pink hair girl glared again, crossing her arms in a way that Dan could only describe as the kind of look his mom would give him when she was about to lecture him about something.  
  
    “I’m just worried about you that’s all,” Sayori said, “I mean, your happiness is really important to me! And, I’m worried that if you don’t join a club, then you won’t get into college and you won’t be prepared for the real world, and that you’ll end up miserable---”  
  
    Dan gently rested his hand on  Sayori’s shoulder as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.  
  
    “Sayori,” he reassured her with a soft smile, “I’ll be fine. I’ll  look into a few clubs, if it’ll make you happy. Can’t make any promises, though.”  
  
    Sayori’s eyes widened, and Dan was almost afraid that she was going to cry again.  
  
    “You’d do that,” Sayori asked hopefully, “To make me happy?”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan replied with a confident smile, “That’s what friends do, right? We make each other happy.”  
  
    A blush painted Sayori’s cheeks as she looked  at the ground as if suddenly became fascinated with the concrete walkway beneath her feet.  
  
    Dan sighed. Why did he let himself be lectured by her so often? He wondered. Sure, he knew that her heart was in the right place, and he was at least somewhat glad that she cared about him. But, sometimes he felt that she worried a little too much about him, and often over-exaggerated situations in her head.  
  
    It wasn’t like he was going to drift aimlessly through life without ambition. He wanted to go to college, and start up a band and become a famous singer.  Then again, he thought, he didn’t really have a plan on how to achieve that goal, so perhaps Sayori was somewhat right to worry about him.  
  
    For a moment, Dan allowed himself to slip into a daydream as he continued to walk. Around him, the crowded hallways of the school faded away, shifting into crowded concert hall. His uniform transformed into a sparkling, form fitting blue costume. Hazy flashes of ruby, sapphire and emerald danced in his vision as his hips swayed seductively in time to the music of his band.  Thousands of eyes watched him from the shadows, enthralled by the rhythm, and waiting with baited breath to let his siren voice weave its spell on them.  
  
    He opened his mouth and----

 **THUD!**  
  
    Faster than he could react, Dan found himself colliding with both reality and with what appeared to be another student, sending them both sprawling to the floor. Sayori gave him a concerned look as she helped him back to his feet.    
  
    The other student, Dan noticed, appeared to be another male, judging by his uniform. He couldn’t help but notice a streak of blond amongst the dark brown of the man’s ponytail.  As he moved toward the other man to apologize and see if he was alright, his foot brushed against a pair of glasses that he assumed must have fallen off of the other man.  Carefully, Dan picked up the glasses with one hand while extending his other toward the other student.  
  
    “I am so sorry, dude,” Dan apologized, handing the man his glasses back “I really should have been watching were I was going. Are you okay, man?”  
  
    Slowly, the other man looked up as he slid his glasses back onto his face, his brown eyes widening fearfully as they met Dan’s own. The man’s lips, just barely hidden behind his facial hair, hung agape, quivering slightly, as if halfway between speaking and whimpering.  With a shaky hand, the other man took Dan’s hand to help him stand.  
  
    Now that they were both standing, Dan was able to get a good look at the man he’d accidentally bumped into. On first glance, everything about this man would have given the impression he was intimidating. Like Dan, he was considerably tall. One could even argue that the two were roughly the same height. However, unlike the lanky Dan, the other man’s body was broader and slightly more muscular. He seemed like he could have been the type of person who could easily do some damage in a fight, given the opportunity.  
  
    However, Dan also sensed a bit of gentleness and warmth in the other man’s demeanor that off-set his gruff exterior. He seemed like the kind of guy who wanted nothing more than to make others laugh and feel comfortable around him.  
  
    “I-I’m fine,” the man stammered“I shouldn’t have been there, anyways. I really should get to class.”  
  
    A flustered blush painted the other man’s cheeks as he swiftly bounded down the hall, disappearing into the crowd, leaving both Sayori and Dan to ponder the events in his wake.  
  
    “Who was that guy?” Dan asked, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”  
  
    “Oh, him?” Sayori replied, her face brightening a little, “That’s Arin. He just transferred here from Asagao Academy---y’know that private school just outside of town?---recently. I think he’s in the same year as us, but in a different class or something. I don’t really know. I hear he’s kind of grumpy though.”  
  
    Dan arched an eyebrow, but said nothing. He wondered how Sayori already knew so much about this new transfer student. The guy couldn’t have been there more than a couple days, he reasoned. Otherwise, he was sure that he would have at least heard about him sooner. Then again, he reasoned, Sayori was a little more social, and was actually involved in clubs.  So, it was possible that she’d met or heard about him before.

 

Whatever, he thought, shaking his head as he entered the classroom and took his usual seat near the window. It wasn’t really that important. It wasn’t like he was ever going to actually run into him again, anyways.

* * *

  
  
    The rest of the day passed by quietly without much incident. Afternoon had fallen, and the last school bell rang. Dan had barely even noticed that the other students had already filed out of the class for the day, leaving him to be alone in his daydreams. He sighed to himself, running his fingers through his hair, as he remembered his promise to Sayori. He’d said that he’d at least look into some clubs for her. But, where was he supposed to start, he wondered?  
  
    He always supposed that he could consider  the Music Club. But then, he thought, he wasn’t sure how well he’d fit in there. Sure, he knew a lot about music, especially more contemporary music, and even could sing and play bass guitar (to a minor extent). But, he felt like the other students in the club were more interested in discussing music in a much more mathematical sense, which wasn’t something he was able to articulate quite as easily.  
  
    But still, what other option did he have?    
  
    A soft scraping of wood against wood startled him, drawing him once more from his inner thoughts.  
  
    “Hello?” a sweet, cheerful voice called out, “Danny?”  
  
    “Sayori?”  
  
    Sayori entered the room, making her way toward him with a shy smile.  
  
    “I waited up for you after class,” Sayori explained, “But, I didn’t see you leave. So, I thought you must have been in here, spacing out. So, I came in. Honestly, you’re even worse than me sometimes!”

    "Geez," Dan frowned, "Thanks for that...."

    Sure, he admitted, he’d been spacing out a lot lately. But, he always figured that it was more because he was more of an internalized person. True, he very much enjoyed hanging out with other people, but sometimes he was just as content with losing himself in his thoughts and the little dream worlds that he’d create.  
  
    Perhaps that was the same reason that Sayori spaced out as much as she did, too, he thought.  
  
    “You didn’t have to wait up for me,” he said, “I mean, I'm pretty sure the other people in your club would be pissed if you were late because of me.”  
  
    Sayori giggled as a sly, mischievous smile spread across her face. Instantly, a small knot of panic settled in the pit of Dan’s stomach, again. However, this was not the same type of unease he had felt with her earlier that day. But rather, this was an uneasiness and sense of dread that he knew all too well.  
  
    Whenever that spark of blue lightning flashed in her eyes, it only ever meant one thing: she had a plan. And for Dan, that usually only meant one other thing---trouble.  
  
   
    “Well,” she said,  “I thought that you might need a starting point to start looking into clubs and everything. So, I was thinking maybe.....”  
  
    “....Maybe?”  
      
    “Well, that you could come to my club!”  
  
    “Sayori....” Dan replied, uncertainly, “I mean, I like reading and everything. But, I don’t know if I really have an interest in joining the Literature Club.”  
  
    Of course, he thought to himself. He’d completely forgotten that she was Vice-President of the Literature Club. But then again, he reasoned, the Literature Club itself was fairly new, and didn’t have a lot of members in it, so it was understandable for him to have forgotten it’s existence.  So, of course she’d be enthusiastic about drawing as many new members into the club as possible.  
  
    Honestly, it kind of surprised him that she had an interest in literature. Sure, he’d known her to occasionally read a story or two, but he wouldn’t necessarily consider her an avid reader. He wondered if her being one of the first people to join, and thus Vice President, was mostly because she thought it’d be exciting to help start a new club.  
  
    Once more, Sayori pouted. And again, Dan couldn’t help but feel a small, amused smile crossed his lips. There was just something about the way Sayori pouted that he couldn’t help but find slightly adorable. It was almost difficult to say no to her when she did that. He was almost positive that Sayori knew this as well.  
  
    “C’mon,” she replied, “What about those little songs you write? Those are poems! And those are really good! You’d be perfect for the club!”  
  
    Dan blushed again, rubbing the back of his neck. He wasn’t exactly sure that he’d consider himself a ‘good’ songwriter, by any stretch. Outside of Sayori, he’d never actually shared his songs with anyone. And even then, he’d only shared a few of the songs he’d written with her.  
  
    “I mean, I guess,” he shrugged, “But...that’d be more of a thing for the Music Club wouldn’t it?”  
  
    “C’mon,” Sayori pleaded, “Please?”  
  
    “Why are you so dead set on me checking out the Literature Club today anyways?”  
  
    Again, Sayori’s expression changed faster than Dan was able to blink. Once again, her cheeks flushed. Her slender, delicate fingers knitted together, forming a point with her index fingers as she balanced her chin on them.  
  
    “Ehehehe,” she laughed nervously, “Well...I-I kind of already told the others that I was gonna bring a new member today. And, Natsuki made cupcakes and everything. And I figured that it’d be really rude to her if she spent all that time baking them, expecting you, and then you didn’t show up----"

Dan sighed to himself once more, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips. Was she really that airheaded and gotten ahead of herself, believing that he would actually agree to join the literature club? Or was this all part of her scheme in the first place?  
  
    Still,  he couldn’t exactly be mean and make Sayori look like a liar in front of her fellow club members. And, he couldn’t exactly say no to the offer of free, homemade cupcakes, either.  
  
    “Fine,” he said defeatedly, “I’ll stop by. But, just for a cupcake. Don’t take this as a sign that I’m gonna join or anything.”  
      
    The pink haired girl bounced on her heels, letting out an excited squeal. Suddenly, Dan’s vision became a blur of color as Sayori grabbed his arm, dragging him from his desk with surprising strength. In the back of his mind, he almost couldn’t help but laugh as he pictured how bizzare and comical the sight of a petite girl dragging this walking palm tree of a man behind her into the hallway as if he were some kind of doll.  
    

* * *

  
    When he was fully able to get his bearings again, he noticed that Sayori had lead him to an empty hallway on the third floor. This floor, he knew, was reserved primarily for teachers offices and spare classrooms used for club-rooms or the occasional temporarily relocated classroom.  
      
    Inside the club room, Dan was greeted with an unexpected sight. Three ladies sat at desks, each of them seemingly absorbed in their own activities before noticing their two new guests.  
  
    “Hi everyone!” Sayori said, waving, “I brought the new member! ”  
  
    “Sayori!” Dan whispered, “We talked about this. Don’t call me that!”  
  
    One of the girl’s stood up and approached them.  
  
    “Welcome to the Literature Club,” she said in a soft voice, “It’s a pleasure meeting you. Sayori always says nice things about you.”

The girl looked to be roughly in the same year as him and Sayori, or possibly a year above them. Everything about this girl, from the way she gracefully tucked a strand of her long, violet hair behind her ear, to the shy half-smile she gave him, seemed to give the impression she was a very reserved, but intellectual type.  
  
    A second girl, one with bright pink hair, huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms.  
  
    “Ugh,” she said, “I can’t believe you brought a boy! That’s really gonna kill the atmosphere.”  
  
    This girl seemed the stark contrast to her taller counterpart. She was thin and kind of short. Dan guessed she might possibly be a first year; though he swore that he’d probably seen her around school before, so it was just as likely that she wasn’t. While her friend seemed more reserved and elegant, she seemed more outgoing and cutesy. Though, the sour attitude she was giving him seemed to conflict with her appearance.  
  
    “Ah, Danny,” a third girl spoke, “What a nice surprise! It’s good to see you,”  
  
    This girl, was also distinctly different from any of the other girls in the club. She seemed almost too perfect. Not one strand of light brown hair was out of place, one wrinkle in her uniform, that didn’t seem intentional. She practically glided across the floor as she approached him, her green eyes staring intensely at him.  
  
    Dan fought the urge to take a few steps back as she drew closer. There was something about her eyes especially that sent a chill down his spine. It was as if they were seeing through him, into the core of his very soul. Those eyes saw things in him that even Dan was unaware of about himself.  
  
    Blinking, he managed to shake off that uneasy feeling, daring to give her another look. However, as a small grin crossed her delicate lips, he can’t help but wonder if that feeling was just in his head. There was absolutely nothing weird about her at all.  
  
    Even once the third girl’s gaze left him, he found himself at a complete loss for words. This club, he noticed, was completely full of cute girls. On one hand, part of him almost wanted to join the Literature Club right then and there---any excuse to spend time around four beautiful and smart ladies. On the other hand, being the only guy in the club would probably make him stand out a bit too much, and would probably raise suspicions among his fellow classmates as to any ulterior motives behind his joining the club.

Sayori opened her mouth to speak, when suddenly she was interrupted by a loud thunderous crash as the door flew open with a bang. A large figure stumbled into the room, almost seemingly diving into the room to stop himself from tripping over his own feet. Once more, Dan felt his heart skip a beat as he found himself staring again at the figure of Arin.  
  
    So this was how Sayori knew who Arin was, he thought. Arin must have been a member of the Literature Club, or at the very least had been talked into visiting the club by one of the other members, much like Dan himself had.  
  
    “Ah, Arin,” the third girl said, her enigmatic smile not once leaving her face, “I see that you’re late again. Good of you to finally join us.”  
  
    Arin’s brow furrowed, flashing a brief, almost unnoticable, grimace of annoyance, before he casually brushed it off. Dan wondered if it were necessarily annoyance toward the fact Arin was late, or if it was more toward the cause of what made him late. Either way, he reasoned, it probably didn’t matter.  
  
    “Yeah,” Arin apologized,“Sorry about that. I got a little tied up with some stuff, I guess you could say. What’s important is that I’m here, now. And, Sayori said that she was bringing a new guy or something, right?”  
  
    “He’s right here!” Sayori beamed, waving her hand toward Dan in way that almost made him feel as if he were some prize being presented by a model on a game show.  
  
    Dan shifted in place a little as Arin looked him over with hawk-like scrutiny. The other man’s expression seemed almost paradoxically readable and unreadable at the same time. Although his bearded face was blank, a myriad of emotions danced in the light behind Arin’s eyes, each of them more confusing to Dan than the next.  
  
    Anger burned like wildfire in his eyes, muddied by slight disgust. Perhaps, Dan had thought, Arin recognized him, and was more annoyed with the incident this morning than he’d let on.  Or maybe he felt that Dan was threatening his position as the only guy in the club?  
  
    And yet, an icy wind of sadness and regret seemed to cool the angry blaze. Maybe, Dan reckoned, Arin realized that his jealousy and irritation towards Dan were unfounded, and he felt bad about the whole thing.    
  
    Quickly, he looked at the short girl. Hadn’t she just acted like the entire thought of a boy being in the club was a total mood killer, when they already had a guy in the club?  
  
    “What are you staring at?!” the short girl spoke, breaking the silence, “If you’ve gotta say something, just say it!”  
  
    “Natsuki,” the tall girl exclaimed, her voice giving her tiny friend a gentle warning.  
  
    “Sorry,” Dan apologized, looking down at his shoes as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
    “Don’t worry about Natsuki,” Sayori whispered to Dan, “She can get kinda moody at times. Just ignore her when she gets like that.”  
  
    She turned back to the other girls, and continues speaking as if nothing happened.

   “Anyways,” she said, nodding to the short girl, “This is Natsuki. She’s the one who made the cupcakes. She’s always full of energy!”  
  
    She waved toward the taller girl, who immediately blushed.  
  
    “And this is Yuri,” she said, “She’s the smartest on in the club.”  
  
    Yuri’s blush grew deeper as her shoulders tensed, and she drew in upon herself. Nervously, her fingers fidgeted with the cuffs of her jacket, as she fixedly averted her gaze toward a distant spot on the wall.  
  
    “D-don’t say things like that!” Yuri stammered.  
      
    “Well, in any case,” Dan said, “It’s nice to meet you two.”  
  
    “You and Monika,” Sayori continued, motioning toward the third girl, “Apparently already know each other? Is that right?”  
  
    “That’s right!” Monika replied cheerfully, “We were in the same class last year.”  
  
    Dan nodded. Of course he recognized Monika. Although he didn’t know her that well, he did remember being in the same class as her the previous year. He remembered that she seemed like the most popular girl in class. She was smart, elegant and athletic, and almost every student in the class seemed to like her. Admittedly, he wasn’t sure what he felt about her, but he was at least somewhat sure that he probably liked her a little, even though she was way out of his league.  
  
    “And,” Sayori said finally, “I believe you literally ran into Arin, earlier.”  
      
    Again, Dan nodded. So, Arin was a member of the Literature Club after all, he thought. So much for the idea of being the only guy in a club full of beautiful girls. Then again, maybe having another guy in the club wouldn’t be a bad thing.  
  
    Wait, what was he saying? Why was he already thinking like he’d joined the Literature Club? He still had other clubs to look at, he reminded himself. Besides--he’d only promised to stop by for a cupcake. He’d never promised to actually join this club.  
  
    “Yeah, man,” Dan apologized, “Sorry again about the whole slamming into you thing.”  
  
    “Don’t worry about it, dude” Arin smiled, “It’s pretty much forgotten. I mean, I’m a lot tougher than I look.”  
  
    “Then,” Natsuki snarked, “You must be an  iron wall on the inside. ‘Cause you already look like you fight bears on weekends or something.”  
  
    Despite himself, Arin couldn’t help but grin at the pink haired girl’s comments. Arin’s laugh seemed almost infectious, Dan thought as he listened to Arin and Natsuki playfully bickering with one another. His laugh was comforting and warm. If it were able to manifest in physical form, Dan was almost sure that it would have appeared as a blanket made of sunshine, or a sunny spring afternoon. It was the kind of laugh that made one feel like they were at home when they were around him, like they could trust one another.  
  
    “Anyways,” Sayori interrupted, “Everyone, this is Danny! So, now that everyone's here, I'll go get the cupcakes!”  
  
    Sayori started to skip toward the cupcakes, but was stopped by Natsuki clearing her throat.  
  
    “Hey!” Natsuki protested, putting her hands on her hips, “I’m the one who made them, I should get them.”  
      
    “Right,” Sayori blushed, sliding back beside Dan, “Guess I got a little excited there.”  
  
    “I’ll go make some tea, then.” Yuri spoke, her gentle voice just barely above a mumble, as she pulled out a teapot from the closet.  
  
    Dan cocked his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. How had Yuri managed to get a tea-set into the school? Students usually were barely allowed to bring phones to school, and somehow Yuri had managed to bring a teapot and a mini-heater here with no problem.

Yuri smiled as she left the room to fill the teapot. Meanwhile, Arin started to move some of the desks, helping Monika and Sayori arrange them into a small table.  Dan fidgeted nervous with his hands. Even if he was just a guest, he still felt like he should have been doing a little more, than just standing there while everyone else was doing something.  
  
    With a quick glance over at the closet, he noticed a large roll of butcher paper, likely used by one of the art clubs for sketching out large mural projects. Taking a pair of scissors from a plastic box in storage, Dan cut a large sheet of the brown paper from the roll, carefully folding it as he carried it back to the room, draping it over the set of desks that the others had arranged into a small table.  
  
    “Good thinking, Danny.” Monika said, as she began setting down a few clear plastic plates on top of the table.  Dan blushed, smiling as he saw the brown-haired girl smiling at him. It was just so weird, and kind of embarrassing, he believed, for such a sophisticated and popular girl such as her to be smiling at him with such affection.  
  
  
    Yuri returned with the teapot, setting it on the burner before setting a few teacups on the table next toward everyone’s plates.  
  
    “Danny,” Sayori said as she and the others set down at the desk, “Come sit down at the table! We made room for you to sit between me and Monika.”  
  
    Arin muttered something under his breath as he went behind Monika, setting a few plastic forks beside the plates. Monika looked over at him, her eyes flashing with something dangerous, though her placid smile never left her face. Arin coughed, flashing Monika a grimace posing as a false smile, before sitting down.  
  
    Dan quietly took his seat between the two girls, finding himself seated directly across from Arin, who was seated between Natsuki and Yuri.  Natsuki, stood up, proudly standing over the tray like a mother hen standing over her newborn chicks.  
  
    “Okay,” she asked “Is everyone ready?”  
  
    Slowly, Natsuki peeled back the shining foil, revealing a few rows of fluffy white cupcakes, covered in icing that was decorated to look like cats. An awed, impressed cooing sounded from the other members as they beheld Natsuki’s confectionery masterpiece.  Even Dan himself couldn’t help but be impressed by the level of skill put into the cupcakes. But then, he thought, he doubted he could boil water without burning it.  
  
    “Wow, Natsuki!” Sayori said, “These look really good!”  
  
    “Yeah,” Arin agreed, “These are really cute! The little chocolate bits  you used for the ears are really adorable.”  
  
    “Natsuki,” Monika said, impressed, “I had no idea you were so good at baking.”  
  
    “Heh," Although the pink haired girl’s grin grew, a faint blush painted her cheeks, “Well, you know. Just hurry and take one, okay? They taste a lot better than the look!”  
  
    “I’ll be the judge of that,” Dan winked, taking one of the cupcakes off the tray as the others take theirs.  
  
    Biting into the cupcake feels as if heaven itself had exploded inside of his mouth. He can’t recall if he’s ever eaten a cupcake that was as fluffy and sweet as the one he held in his hand at that moment. He barely even cared if he was getting the icing all over his chin or not as he ravenously took another bite.  
  
    “Oh, wow!” Sayori said with a mouthful of cupcake, “These are delicious!”  
  
    Beside him, he noticed the others, too, wore expressions of delighted bliss as they bit into the cupcakes.  But Natuski only vaguely seemed to notice them, instead sneaking glances in his direction, as if waiting for his reaction in particular.  
  
    “These are really good,” Dan says, smiling as he wiped away a small bit of icing from his cheek, “Thanks, Natsuki!”  
  
    Natsuki made a startled sound, as if she were more expecting him  to spit out the cupcake and throw it across the room than for him to actually thank her. However, her mildly irritated expression reappeared once more.  
  
    “W-why are you thanking me?” she stammered, “It’s not like I made them for you or anything.”  
  
    “But, didn’t Sayori say---?” Dan started, confused.

     Didn’t Natsuki technically make cupcakes for him, he wondered, considering that Sayori had asked her to in the first place? Or had she been planning to make cupcakes anyways, regardless of whether they were having guests. Then again, she could have just been trying to be modest for the sake of politeness. Natsuki huffed, crossing her arms again in a way that seemed almost too adorable to him, much like her cupcakes.  
  
    “I-I mean, yeah,” she replied, blushing furiously, “But, I didn’t make them for you specifically, dummy! I made them for everyone.”  
  
    From beside her, Arin grinned as he leaned back in his chair, taking another bite from his cupcake.  
  
    “God, Natsuki,” he commented casually, “You’re such a tsundere sometimes!”  
  
    “I am not!” Natsuki buried her face in her hands, making the others laugh. Thankfully, she seemed to be saved as Yuri having gotten up to check on the tea, returned. Carefully, she poured everyone a cup of steaming hot tea.  
  
    A light, almost flowery scent rose from the steam as Dan held the cup near his lips, briefly allowing himself to be absorbed by  the heat. The tea, he guessed from the scent and taste was likely a jasmine flavored tea. It’s light bitterness seemed to perfectly compliment the fluffy sweetness of cupcakes that Natsuki had brought.  
  
    “So,” Dan asked, “How’d you manage to get a tea set in here, anyways? Especially the heater. I mean, are the teachers okay with that?”  
  
    “Oh yes,” Yuri replied, “They told us that as long as we keep it in the club room, it was okay. Besides, don’t you think a nice, hot cup of tea is perfect when enjoying a good book?”  
  
    “I guess,” Dan shrugged, “I mean I never really thought about it.”  
  
    From beside him, Monika giggled.  
  
    “Don’t let her intimidate you,” Monika said, giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, “Yuri’s just trying to impress you.”  
  
    Yuri stared fixedly down at the cup in her hands, fervently avoiding both Monika and Dan’s gaze. Dan  felt like he should have apologized for his ambivalent response to her attempts at trying to make conversation with him.  
  
    “T-that’s...” Yuri mumbled, “I meant that. Y’know?”  
  
    “Oh,” Dan replied, “I believe you. I just meant that I don’t really drink tea that much while I’m reading. I do like tea, though. And the tea you made is really good, too!”

    “Thank you,” Yuri replied, smiling shyly as she managed to look up again.  
  
    “Anyways,” Monika spoke, changing the conversation, “What made you decide to check out the Literature Club, Danny?”  
  
    Dan shifted awkwardly in his chair, unsure of the best way to begin answering the question. He was sure that if he’d told her that Sayori had dragged him here on guilt and the promise of cupcakes, it would probably just disappoint and upset her. Plus, he added, he couldn’t just sell Sayori out like that.  
  
    “Well,” Dan said after awhile, “I was thinking about checking out the Music Club. But, Sayori seemed pretty happy here, so I thought that it couldn’t hurt to give it a look.”  
  
    “And the fact,” Arin snarked, “That Sayori literally dragged you here didn’t factor into your decision at all, right?”  
  
    “Hey!” Sayori exclaimed, pretending to be offended.  
  
    Was it really that obvious? Dan wondered. Was it really that obvious that he hadn’t entirely been brought here of his own free will?    
  
    “What made you want to start you’re own club,” Dan asked Monika, “I mean, you could probably be President of any club you joined. Weren’t you  Debate Club President last year?”  
  
    “Well,” Monika replied, folding her hands behind her back, “Honestly, I kind of quit the Debate Club. I just didn’t like that most of it was just everyone arguing about the budget and whatever. Just too much politics around the major clubs. Besides, I’d rather start a club about something that I’m passionate about, and maybe make something special out if it.”  
  
    “Monika is really a good leader,” Sayori chirped from beside Dan, “She’s always so passionate about things.”  
  
    Yuri and Natsuki nodded in agreement. Arin likewise, nodded in agreement. But,once more, a distant, far-off gaze seemed to cloud his eyes, as if he were lost in his own thoughts and only half-listening to the conversation at hand.  
  
    “I’m surprised,” Dan continued, “that there aren’t more people in this club yet. I mean, you’re really popular and everything, you’ shouldn’t have a  problem attracting new members. I’m guessing that it’s hard to start a new club”  
  
    “You could say that,” Monika explained, “Not a lot of people are all that interested in helping start something new. Especially if it’s something that’s kind of obscure and doesn’t immediately grab people’s attention. You really have to try hard to convince people that it’s fun and worthwhile. That’s why the things like the school festivals are really important. But, I’m pretty confident that we can make this club something really special before we graduate! Right, everyone?”  
  
    Once more, everyone nodded in agreement. Part of Dan wondered if Monika had rehearsed that speech, as if she were expecting him to ask that question. Or that she had been asked that question many times before and had gotten used to responding with a confident, hopeful response such as that.  
  
    “Right!” Sayori replied, beaming  
  
    “We’ll do our best,” Yuri said softly  
  
    “You know it!” Natsuki added with a confident grin.  
  
    “Sure,” Arin replied with a shrug, “I guess we could try.”  
  
    It was interesting, Dan noted. Such completely different people all drawn to this club for their own reasons, and each enthusiastic about working toward the same goal.  Monika must have worked very hard to find the four of them. Though, he wondered if he really would be a good fit for the club. After all, he still  wasn’t sure he had their level of enthusiasm when it came to literature. Things might have been going well now, but once they actually started getting into the actual club activities, he was sure that they’d believe him to be some kind of fraud.  
  
    “So, Danny,” Yuri asked, “What kind of literature do you like reading, anyways?”  
  
    “Well,” he thought for a moment, “I really haven’t had much of a chance to read a lot lately. But, I really kind of love stuff about space, or like fantasy stories with like dragons and elves and stuff. But, occasionally, I sometimes read graphic novels, and a little bit of manga, too, occasionally).  
  
    At ‘manga’, Natsuki’s head perked up, and she seemed very interested in the conversation again. It looked like she wanted to say something, but was hesitant to bring it up, so instead kept quiet.  
  
    “Ah,” Yuri said, “I see.  That’s very interesting. You didn’t seem like the kind of person who’d be interested in something very fantastical and complex.”

    Dan stared at her quizzically for a moment, mildly offended. What was that supposed to mean? Of course he loved fantasy! Ever since he was a kid, he’d been enraptured with tales of magical, faraway lands where unicorns ran free across the planes while brave, cunning knights and clever wizards would rescue fair maidens from evil sorcerers and terrifying dragons.  Also dinosaurs. As a kid he’d been obsessed with dinosaurs--especially the stegosaurus.  
  
    “So,” Dan asked, “What kind of stuff do you read?”  
  
    Yuri paused, shyly tracing the rim of her teacup with a delicate fingertip. She sighed before she continued.  
  
    “Well,” she said carefully, “I guess that I like a lot of that stuff, too. I really love stuff that builds a lot of complex worlds. I find the level of creativity and craftmanship that goes into them is really fascinating. But, it’s also really interesting to tell a story set in a foreign world unlike our own.”  
  
    As she continued to talk, the timidness seemed to fade, melting into a calm, sophisticated confidence. Her purple eyes lit up as she spoke, clearly enthusiastic about the way that suggested that she definitely preferred books over people.  
  
    “But,” she continued, “I really like stories with a psychological element to them, as well. It’s amazing how a writer can take advantage of one’s own imagination, or lack thereof, and completely twist the story around to throw you for a loop.  Anyways, I’ve been reading a lot of horror lately, too---”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan said, struggling to come up with a good response “I tried to read a horror novel once---”  
      
    From the corner of his eye, he saw Monika quirked an eyebrow as she leaned forward in interest.  
  
    “Really?” she said, “I didn’t expect that you’d be interested in that kind of thing, Yuri. Someone as gentle as you?”  
  
    Yuri giggled softly, blushing once again as she looked at Monika with an embarrassed smile.

    “I-I guess you could say that,” she replied.  
  
    “True.” Arin agreed, flashing a knowing look at Dan “I mean, you know the saying. ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’. Like, just because we look a certain way, or have a certain personality type, doesn’t mean that’s supposed to determine what we’re interested in.”  
  
    “Like,”Sayori agreed, “How you’re this huge, kind of scary looking guy, but you really like pink and cute little anime things.”  
  
    “Or like how Natsuki always tries to act tough,” Arin added, “But we all know that she’s really a total sweetheart, who couldn’t stop being cute even if she tried.”  
  
    Natsuki grumbled. Dan could almost see the steam coming off of her face as she once again buried her face in her hands.  
  
    “Good thing,” Sayori giggled, “That I’m exactly the type of person that I appear to be.”  
  
    Dan grimaced, playing with a loose strand of hair, as he shot a worried glance in Sayori’s direction. He wanted to protest, but Sayori seemed give him a look that, even if she wasn’t aware that he had noticed anything, warned him that she didn’t want to press the issue any further.  
  
    And, for what it was worth, Dan felt like bringing it up would only make Sayori upset. And, the mood was too nice right now for him to be going about ruining it.  
  
    “Anyways,” Yuri said, “If a story really makes me think or takes me to another world. I find it kind of impossible to set down, you know? It’s that kind of surrealness about the genre that really helps you change the way you view the world, sometimes.”  
  
    Although he had previously been unable to form the words necessary to hold a serious discussion with her earlier, he couldn’t help but feel some sort of faint flicker of truth and understanding in her words.  
  
    Natsuki made a face, once again bringing Dan back to reality.  
  
    “Ugh,” She said, “I hate horror!”  
  
    “Oh?” Yuri asked curiously, “Why is that?”  
  
    “It’s just so....” Natsuki explained defensively, “Nevermind.”  
  
    “Hey, it’s okay,” Dan reassured her, “I’m not really much of a horror guy, either. I mean, I like some parts of horror, especially if it has a bittersweet ending. Like in that movie, _Jacob’s Ladder_. But, like there’s a lot of stuff in the whole build up that I can’t handle. It’s cool, though.  Like, a lot of people can’t handle that kind of stuff. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”  
  
    Natsuki’s eyes brightened as she agreed, feeling slightly more at ease about her embarrassment over not liking horror novels.  
  
    “What about you, Arin?” Yuri asked, curiously, “Are you interested in horror?”  
  
    Arin sighed, looking down at the empty teacup in his hands. His shoulders slumped as a dark, faraway look crossed his face yet again. Again, he gave the other man another glance. This time, it seemed different. It was sorrowful--as if he were remembering something that he secretly figured that Dan would understand.  
  
    “I used to be,” he said reluctantly, “I’m not so sure about that, anymore.”  
  
    “Oh,that’s unfortunate” Monika said, sympathetically, “Did you have a bad experience with it?”  
  
    “You could say that,” Arin muttered, “I guess.”  
  
    “I just,” Natsuki exclaimed, shivering “Don’t like the genre at all!”  
  
    Monika smiled warmly, and once more the mood of the room seemed to shift into something more comfortable and inviting.  
  
    “That’s right,” she said, “You like writing about cute things, don’t you, Natsuki?”  
  
    “Wh-What?!” the pigtailed girl gasped, “What gave you that idea?!”  
  
    “You left a poem in the clubroom the other day," Monika withdrew a piece of folded paper from her pocket and held it up, “It looked like you were working on a poem you called---”  
  
    Natsuki practially leapt from her desk, snatching the piece of paper from Monika’s hand as a whining, flustered grunt escaped her throat.  
  
    “D-Don’t say it out loud!” she cried, “Don’t be mean like that, Monika! Geez!”  
  
    Now it was Sayori’s turn to laugh. Casually, she slid behind Natsuki, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, much to the shorter girl’s chagrin.  
  
    “Between your poems and your cupcakes,” Sayori laughed, “Everything you do is as cute as you are!”  
  
    Now, Natsuki’s face had flushed a shade of pink that was darker that either of the girl’s hair. Her fists clenched at her sides, shaking silently.  Dan tensed up, half expecting Natsuki to throw Sayori over her shoulder and punch her in the face.  
  
    “I’M NOT CUTE!!!” Natsuki whined, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

“So,” Dan said quickly, changing the subject, before things could escalate, “Um...Natsuki? You write your own poems? That’s really cool!”  
  
    The pink-haired girl wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes, her breathing slowed.  
  
    “Oh yeah,” she replied,”Well, sometimes, I guess. Why do you care?”  
  
    “Oh,” Dan replied, “It’s just that I’m impressed is all. I mean, I’m kind of a poetry writer too. Well, more of a musician, anyways. So, I guess that totally counts, right? What do you usually write about?”  
  
    “Y-you wouldn’t like it,” Natsuki mumbled, her jaw set as she looked away.  
  
    “Not very confident yet, huh,” Dan smiled, “That’s cool. I mean, not everyone’s really super eager to share things with people they don’t know, yet. Just give it some time, I guess.”  
  
    “I understand how she feels,” Yuri agreed, “Sharing like that takes a really high level of confidence that’s not easy to build. The truest level of writing is to be able to expose your vulnerabilites and be honest with oneself. The hardest person to write for is oneself. It’s even more difficult to bare one’s soul to others.”  
  
    Again, Dan nodded, Yuri’s words ringing with a  truth to them that he couldn’t help but agree with on a subconscious level he felt stirring deep in his own soul.  
  
    “You have writing experience, too, Yuri?” Monika suggested, “Maybe you could share some of your work and maybe that’ll help Natsuki feel a little more comfortable sharing hers?”  
  
    Yuri said nothing, though her mouth moved, only managing some half-strangled noises in response. Clearly that even Yuri wasn’t the only one prone to a lack of confidence when it came to sharing her writing.  
  
    “Aww,” Sayori frowned, dejectedly, “I wanted to read everyone’s poems!”  
  
    A heavy silence falls over the group, as the six of them stare at each other with uncertain looks. None of them really want to share their poems with one another, but at the same time, what else were they supposed to be doing in the Literature Club?  
  
    Suddenly, Monika snaps her fingers as she sat up a little straighter in her chair. Eventhough, for once it wasn’t Sayori dragging him into some harebrained scheme, Dan still couldn’t help but feel nervous about Monika’s ‘I’ve got everything all figured out’ expression.  
  
    “Okay,” she said, “I have an idea! Let’s all go home and write a poem and share it with everyone tomorrow. That way, we’ll all be even. And, besides---with a new member and everything, it’d help us to all become more comfortable being around each other. Right, Danny?”  
  
    Suddenly, five pairs of eyes stared at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. How had he let himself get this deep into things, he wondered. He’d only agreed to stop by for a cupcake, and now they were acting like he was a full fledged member of the club already.  
  
    “Now wait a minute,” Dan protested, “I never said that I was going to join this club. I still have other clubs to look at. And uh....”  
  
    These words felt like they left his mouth like venom being spit at the other club members. The other members looked dejected, some silently seeming as if they sank a little into the floor.

    “B-but--” Monika began  
  
    “I’m sorry,” Yuri apologized, “I just thought that---”  
      
    Natsuki just huffed in irritation, her arms folded across her chest.  
  
    “Danny...” Sayori said, her voice quivering.  
  
    It was Arin that seemed to have the least disappointed reaction. Although his face remained fixed in a blank mask, he at least didn’t seem as outwardly dejected  as the girls did. And for that, Dan was at least a little thankful--he didn’t need to feel any worse than he already did about rejecting them.  
  
    “Hey now,” Arin said, “C’mon, guys...don’t be upset. I mean, it should be up to Dan whether or not he wants to join the club, right? It’d be rude for us to force him to do something he didn’t want to.”  
  
    Dan nodded. At least Arin seemed to understand the situation, to a degree. But still, he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty for making them go through all that effort of preparing to have him stop by, and then to so coldly reject them like that. He couldn’t be mean to them like that.  
  
    Besides, he thought with a small, inward smile, he’d had a lot of fun today. And everyone in the club seemed really interesting, and he enjoyed being around them. If writing poems was the only thing that he’d have to do to get the chance to hang around such cute and interesting people everyday, then that was a sacrifice he was willing to make.  
  
    “Okay,” he sighed, “I guess I’ll join the Literature Club. You convinced me.”  
  
    One by one, the other’s eyes light up. Sayori again bounces on the heels of her feet as she makes an exclamation of joy, and hugged Dan tightly, glad that her decision to bring him here paid off. Yuri seems relieved, as she lets out a sigh, clutching her chest.  
  
    “You really did scare me there for a second,” she said.  
  
    Natsuki, though her arms still crossed, softens her expression.  
  
    “If you’d only stopped by for cupcakes,” she said, “I was gonna be super pissed at you, Danny.”  
  
    Again, Arin said nothing. A couple faint twitches in the corners of his mouth and in his eyebrow were the only signs that betrayed any sort of underlying feelings before a kind, welcoming smile came across them. He gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder before stepping back.  
  
    “Well,” he said, “I guess it’ll be good not to be the only guy in the club, anymore.”  
  
    Like Yuri, Monika also seemed relieved. It seemed as if she’d instantly began formulating plans for the club in her head, now that they had six members.  
  
    “Well,” she said, “That makes it official, then. Welcome to the club!”  
  
    “Thanks,” Dan said, “I’m glad to be here, I guess.”  
  
    A few more moments passed, lost in friendly conversation between seconds, and in some cases thirds, of Natsuki’s cupcakes and Yuri’s tea. By the time they had decided to clean up, the sun was already starting to set.  
  
    “Okay, everyone,” Monika said, “I think that’s it for today. Don’t forget to write poems for tomorrow’s meeting, alright?”  
  
    The others agreed. Natsuki and Yuri quickly followed Monika out the door. Arin hovered nervously at the edge of the classroom, absently gathering his textbooks as he kept shooting expectant looks at Dan, as if waiting for the right moment to say something.    
  
    Arin started to speak, but found himself interrupted by Sayori.  
  
    “Hey, Danny!” she asked, “Since we’re here, together. Do you want to walk home together?”  
  
    Right, Dan thought to himself, he and Sayori never walked home anymore, since she was usually busy with clubs and stuff. He figured that, now that he was part of the Literature Club, they’d probably be able to walk home a lot more often. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, however, he wasn't sure.  
  
    “Sure,” Dan replied, shrugging, “Might as well.”  
  
    Sayori skipped as she grabbed his arm, leading him out of the classroom, leaving Arin alone in the club to stare at them as the departed.  
  
On the way home, Dan found his thoughts wondering back to Literature Club, and it’s members:  
  
    Sayori, his best friend and a literal ray of sunshine in his life.  
  
    Yuri with her reserved sophistication and passion for literature matched only by her passion for tea.  
  
    Natsuki and her tough-but-cute attitude and knack for baking.  
  
    Monika: popular and athletic and beautiful; almost practically a goddess.  
  
    And, Arin: so mysterious and unreadable, yet all the same familiar and welcoming.  
  
    Although it meant that he had to sacrifice at least an hour of free time after school everyday, he looked forward to the prospect of getting to hang out with them everyday and growing as friends. And maybe, he thought with a chuckle, possibly even getting the chance to become more than friends with one of them? That was definitely worth it, right?

  
    So, why did he feel like he’d just made the worst mistake of his life?  
   

 

 

 


	2. Conflicts, Comic Books, and Critiques

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the wonderful response on the last chapter! Anyways, I decided when writing these chapters that I’m going to just summarize the girls poems, mostly because they’re essentially the same poems from the game. I’m assuming that anyone reading this fic is likely already familiar with the game and has read the poems. If you haven’t, then there should probably be copies of the poems online somewhere. However, considering that Arin’s character is, obviously, not in the canon game, I decided that I’d still go ahead and add a few poems for him. I’ve also decided to alter a few of the pre-club scenes with Natsuki and Yuri, to keep from following to closely with the game’s original script. That said, since this fic does sort of follow the plotline of the game, it will contain spoilers for the game.) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

    Dan had found it simultaneous easier and harder to write a poem than he realized. Sure, he admitted, he had experience when it came to song writing, but he’d written all of his songs for himself, based on whatever thoughts and feelings in his own head at the moment. But, this time, it was different--this time he wanted to write a poem that would impress one of his new club-mates.  
  
    But, which one should he pick, he wondered, and what kind of poem would impress them the most?  Where was he even supposed to begin?    
  
    Idly, he looked over a small blue notebook laying on his desk. He supposed that he could always abandon the idea of actually trying to write his poems toward any one particular person, and just share some of the song lyrics he’d written.    
  
    But, that felt kind of like cheating, didn’t it?  
  
    In an instant, a light bulb flashed in his mind, as he opened another notebook. He thought of each of the club members as he scribbled down a series of words on a scrap piece of paper.  
  
    He figured that Sayori would probably invoked feelings of happiness and romance. Yet, he thought as he wrote down a few more words, with the way she’d been acting occasionally distant lately, it was likely she’d also be drawn to words that invoked more sadness than anything else. Perhaps he could use this to subtly bring up his recent concern for her wellbeing without making it feel like she was being put on the spot.  
  
    Natsuki, he thought, was very interested in cute and simple words, even if she didn’t like to admit it. Strangely, though, he found the process of thinking up words that were both simple and cute to be very difficult, and he wasn’t able to come up as many words that would appeal to her. Hell, he laughed, he even had to resort to making up words like “doki-doki” and “boop”.  
  
    In comparison, Yuri posed a similar, but different set of challenges. While it was easy for him to think of concepts that would appeal to her---basically anything that seemed to touch on the more macabre and deep---it still didn’t feel enough. He needed to be more complex and use bigger, more intellectual words. And finding those types of words proved to be difficult.  
  
    Arin? This one seemed to be more challenging than any of the others. Sure, from what Sayori and the others had mentioned yesterday, Arin seemed, like Natsuki, very much into cute and girly things, much to Dan’s surprise. And yet, like Sayori, he felt that there was something underneath the surface that Arin wanted to talk about, and he wondered if maybe discussing their poems would be an opportunity to get that off his chest.  
  
    As for Monika; Dan was sure that trying to impress her was a futile effort. She was just too smart, sophisticated and creative. Anything wrote was bound to look like it was written by a seventh-grader when compared to the caliber of writing that she was capable of. Frankly, he’d be amazed if Monika didn’t laugh in his face when she read his poem. Besides, he wasn’t sure that he could think of any words that would seem fitting enough to her, anyways.  
  
    Now that he had a handful of words for everyone written down, he was faced with the tricky part. He ripped out the page, cutting the words into little scraps of paper and taping them to a dartboard hanging from his bedroom wall. Closing his eyes, he threw a dart at the board, hoping to at least hit something. Once the dart managed to hit a word, he’d take it down, setting it aside to be used later.  After he’d gotten what felt like enough words, he sat down and began arranging them in a way that he felt would string together a coherent poem. Which, he admitted, with the random assortment of words he’d ended up with, was going to be a difficult enough task as it was.  
  
    Still, he’d managed to scrape up what was a, if not decent, at least readable poem. And, he was prepared to show it to the others at the meeting tomorrow, regardless of what their criticisms of it might be.  He just hoped that at least one of them liked it.

* * *

   Sayori had over slept the next morning, so Dan had found himself walking to school alone, again. However, that said, the rest of the day went by fairly quietly, and before he knew it, it was time to go to the club room again.  
  
    Upon entering, He noticed that most of the club members already appeared to be there. Sayori was sitting at her desk, writing something on a piece of paper, while Yuri sat at another desk, her nose buried deep in a book, seemingly unaware of the world around here. Arin sat at yet another desk, drawing on a piece of paper while talking with a very clearly interested and fascinated Natsuki. Monika sat at yet a third desk, seemingly watching over the others. She perked up, smiling as she stood up and greeted him.  
  
    “Hi, Danny,” she said sweetly, “It’s good to see you back here. I’m glad to see that we didn’t scare you off, yesterday. Seeing how you were on the fence about joining yesterday, I was a little worried that you’d changed your mind.”  
  
    “Eh,” Dan replied casually with a shrug, “ I mean, after you guys were so nice to me and everything. And, I did say I’d join, and I’m not usually the type of guy who really likes breaking promises, if I can help it.”  
  
    “Well,” Monika said, glancing at the clock, “I think we have a little more time before we get to sharing our poems. I’m excited to read what you wrote!”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan joked, though more to mask his nervousness than anything else, “I can’t wait to read what I wrote ,either.”  
  
    Monika gave him a puzzled look before shrugging dismissively with a giggle and returning to her desk.  He barely had a moment to sit down before he found himself being approached by Yuri.  
  
    “Um...”she said, absently playing with the cuff of her jacket “I’d just like to thank you for deciding to stay with us. I know it seemed like we didn’t give you much of an option. I just hope that this isn’t too overwhelming or anything.”  
  
    “Oh, yeah!” Sayori said, “Even if he’s a bit scatterbrained, Danny’s really a total sweetheart! He even helps me with things like my homework without me even asking him to! He wouldn’t bail on this club!”      
  
    Natsuki, having noticed that Dan in the club room, now turned her attention toward him. She leaned over his desk, her pink eyes glaring at him with a threatening sharpness that almost made him subconsciously lean back in his chair.  
  
    “C’mon,” she said, “Why should we cut him any slack. It’s not like he wanted to join or anything. Sayori literally had to bribe him to get him to show up.”  
  
    “Hey,” Dan protested, “At least I showed up today, right? That should prove that I at least sort of want to be here. I have Sayori to vouch for me on that.”  
  
    “Yeah, yeah,” Natsuki replied, waving her hand , “Whatever. Look, I don’t know if you just joined so you could hang out and flirt with all us. But, if you’re not gonna take this seriously, then you better walk on outta here.”  
  
    Dan once more found himself at a loss for words. Sure, he admitted, part of his reasons for joining the club had been to hang out. But, there was a small part of him that was just as serious about expanding his horizons than he was just hanging out.  
  
    Then again, he thought, there was yet a third part that almost felt as if he were cosmically compelled to join this club, and that it was like he was on one of those escalators at the mall. He was just standing there, allowing something other than himself push him along to some unspoken goal that he wasn’t quite aware of as of yet.  
  
    Monika now joined the conversation, seeming to magically pop into existence beside Yuri while Dan had looked the other way.  
  
    “That’s a very bold thing to say,” she smirked, “For someone who keeps their manga collection in the clubroom closet.”  
  
    Natsuki made a startled gasp, taken aback as she glared up at the club president. Dan couldn’t help but feel somewhat bad for the poor girl, her mouth moving soundlessly as her already pale face blanched as white as a ghost. She seemed like she was about to cry, caught between saying “Monika” and “Manga”.  
  
    And yet, Monika kept smiling, seemingly unfazed that she was the cause of the smaller girl’s embarrassment. Was this kind of reaction from Natsuki so common that none of them seemed even a little bothered by it anymore?  
  
    “M-manga is literature,”Natsuki mumbled, hurriedly rushing toward the closet, flustered.  
  
    Arin frowned, as he looked between Natsuki and Monika. His jaw set as his grip tightened around the pencil in his hand.   
  
    “Monika,” he snapped “That was really rude.”  
  
    Monika’s smile vanished like smoke in the air. Slowly, her head turned toward Arin,  looking at him as if she’d just noticed that he was even in the room.  Had it been anyone else, this would have probably been the point where anyone else would have apologized. A brief flash of cold fire danced in her eyes, masked only by her placid countenance. Likewise, a fire, this one heated like a thousand suns, blazed in Arin’s own brown eyes, unable to be contained behind a mask of calmness.

   Dan watched silently as they stared down one another. It was almost like watching a wolf and a fox circling one another, both laying claim to some sort of unseen prey. Was this also normal, he wondered.  
  
    “Arin...” Dan breathed half awed, half terrified.  
  
    “Excuse me?” Monika asked, her voice still pleasant but tinged with an edge.  
  
    “You can’t just treat everyone in the club like they're robots or something,” Arin continued, “That’s just mean.”  
  
    The others exchanged glances, seeming to brace themselves. Dan gripped the sides of his desk, leaning back, ready to duck under the desk in the event the resulting explosion lead to any debris flying at his face. Surely, the electricity and heated anger between the two was bound to go nuclear.  
  
    “Hey, Danny?,” Sayori whispered to him, “Maybe you should go make sure Natsuki’s alright. I’ll try to see if I can calm Monika and Arin down a little.”  
  
    Dan nodded as he  got up from his desk, slipping away toward the clubroom closet, seemingly unnoticed by either of the dueling club members, or by Yuri, silently fidgeting with the hem of her jacket as she stared down at at the floor.  
  
    Stepping out of the tension in the classroom and into the quietness of the closet felt like taking off a heavy winter coat in a warm room. Suddenly, he felt as if he could breathe again, now that he was no longer in the blast radius of Monika and Arin’s argument.  
  
    “Natsuki?” he called out, gently, hoping not to startle her.  
  
    From the corner of the tiny closet, he heard a squeaking sob, like a tiny mouse.  Something shifted in the corner of Dan’s vision, drawing his attention to the small figured huddled next to a small pile of brightly colored paperback books, staring dejectedly down at her knees.  
  
    Her already pink eyes were rimmed with angry red, and her face pink and blotchy, as if she had been trying to rub away tears.  Smiling gently, Dan casually sat beside her. He pretended not to notice as she jumped as she noticed him.  
  
    “I-idiot,” she sniffed loudly, wiping her eyes again, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be out there with the others, making fun of me?”  
  
    “Why would I make fun of you?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
    “‘C-cause y’know....” Natsuki mumbled, “I like manga and everything. Every time people find out I like manga, they’re just like ‘Oh, you still haven’t grown out of that yet? Now that you’re in high school, you should be more interested in less childish stuff.’”  
  
    She growled under her breath, hugging her knees closer to her face.  
  
    “Arrgh,” she exclaimed through gritted teeth, “It’s just so annoying! It just makes me want to punch them in the face!”  
  
    Dan chuckled lightly despite himself, leaning back against the wall. The way that she got defensive about how people perceived her cuteness and her interests was almost endearing, he admitted.  There was something kind of aspiring about that she was still able to embrace her interests, even though people thought they were silly.

Natsuki glared at him, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.  
  
    “What?!” she snapped, “You think it’s funny, too?! Geez, don’t know why I bothered talking to you in the first place?! Why don’t you just go back outside and leave me alone?!”  
  
    “No,no,” Dan quickly apologized,  “I wasn’t laughing at you. I just thought that---”  
  
    “--That me being able to beat someone up is silly?” she asked, defensively, “You just think that I’m some frail, cutesy little girl, don’t you? Well, I’m not! I might look cute, but I could easily kick anyone’s ass if they messed with me!”  
  
    Geez, Dan sighed, embarrassed. There wasn’t any winning with Natsuki, was there? Anything he said, he was bound to get her angry at him again.  
  
    “It’s not---,” He stumbled over his words, becoming more and more flustered as he spoke, “I mean, I totally believe that you could kick my ass!”  
  
    He paused, noticing that Natsuki was now looking up at him, curiously, rather than irritated.  
  
    “It’s just,” he said, “That’s it’s kinda cool that you’re still into manga. I mean, you know what you like, and you’re not afraid to embrace that, y’know? It kinda feels like, since we got in high school, everyone starts acting like they gotta equate being ‘mature’ with ‘boring’. And I’m just like, fuck that shit, man.”  
  
    Natsuki listened, a small smirk twitching at the corner of her lips as she nodded in agreement.  
  
    “Like,” he continued, “Who cares what other people think? Just because you like manga, or think unicorns are the coolest thing on the planet, doesn’t mean that you’re immature or that you don’t take things seriously.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Natsuki agreed distantly “I just wish that Monika and my dad thought that way, too.”  
  
    “Your dad?”  
  
    Dan watched as what small spark of energy the pink-haired girl had managed to regain faded slightly. Self-consciously, Natsuki seemed to fold in on herself once more. Instinctively, Dan found himself scooting closer to her. His hand hovered above her shoulder, uncertain of what to do next. He knew that he could be a kind of affectionate person when he wanted to be. But, he was sure that Natsuki would probably not welcome him being in her personal space like that.  
  
    “Yeah,” she sighed, “He’s super strict about stuff, sometimes. He keeps telling me that I need to act grown up. He won’t even let me keep my manga collection at home, y’know? That’s why I bring it to the clubroom. But, Monika won’t even let me keep it in the clubroom, either! It’s like I just can’t get a break!  
  
    She wiped away a few more frustrated tears that had formed in the corners of her eyes again.  
  
    “Arin’s the one who managed to talk Monika into letting me keep my manga in the closet,” she continued, “I mean, even if he doesn’t act like I can defend myself, I feel like Arin’s the only one who doesn’t treat me like a kid, y’know? ”  
  
    Dan made a face, shaking his head. Natsuki tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. Was he really disagree with her, when she was pouring her heart out to him? For a brief moment he stepped outside of himself. Why was Natsuki admitting all this all of a sudden, anyways? She had such a sour attitude around him, yesterday. He just assumed that she hated him, and that trying to figure out the reason for her disgust would only lead to him getting a headache.

But then again, he figured, she probably just had a bit of a difficult time warming up to new people.  
  
    “Well,” He said slowly, “that’s obviously not true. I mean, you got me. Beside, I figure you could probably teach me a thing or two about manga.”  
  
    Natsuki laughed. Much like a light switch turning on, the insecure aura that surrounded her vanished, once more being replaced with the aura of confidence  that Dan had seen when she had presented the cupcakes during the meeting yesterday.  An idea flashing through her head, she picked up one of the manga laying beside her.  
  
    “Here,” she said, shoving the book into his hands, “You should totally start with this, then.”  
  
    The cover of the book had the words _Parfait Girls_ written in a cutesy font over the image of four girls  with different colored hair in uniforms striking feminine poses.  Dan remembered once hearing a type of manga like this described as “exceedingly _moe_ ”, though he wasn’t entirely sure what “ _moe_ ” actually meant.  
  
    “ _Parfait Girls_?” Dan asked, looking suspiciously at the book in his hands. He wasn’t entirely sure about it. Judging by the cover and the blurb on the back of the volume, it sounded like it was a sort of slow-burn romantic comedy story. The type where the characters did cute things that were meant to evoke ‘awws’ from the reader, but otherwise lacked much in the way of plot.  
  
    “Yeah,” Natsuki shrugged, “I know it sounds like it’d be super boring. And the first couple of chapters kind of slow and not a lot happens in them. But, that’s just to help introduce you to the characters and their personalities, and get you used to the plot. It doesn’t really start to pick up until about chapter five or six, when they start going into the character’s backstories and stuff.”  
  
    Natsuki’s face was practically glowing as she talked, mentally recalling parts of the story with an eager glee and excitement that glimmered in her whole expression. At the same time, there was a bit of frustration there, as well. It was clear that she wanted to talk in depth about the story, but also didn’t want to spoil important bits of the story for him, either.  
  
    “I think Minori is my favorite,” she said, pointing at a pink-haired girl on the cover, “She’s just so unlucky all the time. But, then you kinda feel bad for her when you find out---”  
  
    She stopped herself short, covering her mouth before she could leak any important spoilers to him. Meanwhile, Dan had started flipping through the pages, catching brief glimpses of scenes here and there, but nothing that he could piece together that could make a coherent plot, or even so much as provide any potential spoilers.

“Oops!” Natsuki said, “Nevermind. Just forget I said anything, okay? You gotta find that out for yourself.”  
  
    As Dan finished flipping through the book, he started to hand it back to Natsuki. The petite girl stopped him, however, pushing the book back into his hands.  
  
    “You can borrow it,” she said, “Besides, how am I even gonna talk about it with you, if you don’t even read it?!”  
  
    Dan looked between the book and Natsuki again, still somewhat uncertain. This really didn’t seem like the genre of literature that he was particularly interested in, and it seemed way out of his demographic, anyways. But, Natsuki seemed excited about it, and had even been nice enough to even consider sharing it with him. So, it would have been rude not to at least try, right?  
  
    Besides, he’d decided to give the Literature Club a try when Sayori had first invited him, and that seemed to be turning out well.  Well, as well as one day and two of your club members arguing within five minutes of being there could go.    
  
    “Are you sure about that?” he asked, “I mean, you’re not just being nice because we just totally had a moment together, and you’re totally cool with me borrowing this, right?”  
  
    Natsuki blushed furiously, looking away from the taller man as she bit the edge of her lip.  
    “W-what moment?!” she asked, “W-we didn’t have a moment! If you tell anyone we had a ‘moment’, then I’m never gonna let you hear the end of it, you got that?!”  
  
    “Got it,” Dan laughed with a wink, “If anyone asks, I don’t know you, and this never happened.”  
  
    “Oh,” Natsuki added as the two of them got back to their feet, “And don’t go blabbing to Arin about the manga, either I don’t want him opening his big mouth and spoiling everything for you, like I know he will!”  
  
     From where they stood in the closet, it sounded like things had died down a little. But then again, it was likely that it had calmed down for quite a while. Dan wasn’t sure how long he and Natsuki had been sitting in the closet. Besides, he added, he couldn’t really hear the activities of the clubroom too well from in there, anyways.  
  
    “I think,” Dan said, daring to peek through the door, “That it might be safe to go back out there. Looks like the worst of it is over.”

As the two returned to the classroom, the air that had previously been hot and thick with tension, had now loosened and chilled into something slightly more comfortable, albeit still slightly awkward.  
  
    Sayori stood between Monika and Arin, her hands on her hips as she carefully watched them, ready to step in when necessary.  However, both Monika and Arin’s expressions had softened, having lost the built up anger that resided within them from earlier. They looked like a pair of kids that had gotten caught causing trouble by their parents, and were being lectured to.  
  
    “--Look,” Arin said, his voice more calm and measured than before as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “It’s just---you made Natsuki feel childish about her manga collection. You know that she’s sensitive about it. You just really hurt her feelings, y’know?”  
  
    Monika looked embarrassed. Sheepishly, she glanced over at Dan, especially embarrassed that she had allowed their newest member to see her acting any less than her best. Again, Dan found himself staring deeply into those emerald eyes. And once again, he found a chill in the very core of his soul. He felt like she was reading him, mentally breaking him down to his smallest parts, analyzing each piece, and rearrange herself to him, accordingly.  
  
    “You’re right, Arin” she sighed, folding her hands behind her back and bowing, “I was careless, and spoke without thinking. I apologize.”  
  
    “It’s okay,” Arin replied, “I totally get it, y’know?  I mean, you’ve known Natsuki a long time, huh? You kind of tend to forget about what’s in each others’ comfort zones sometimes. Sometimes you just gotta be reminded what you’re both cool an not cool with. Right, Dan?”  
  
    Now it was Arin’s turn to give a knowing look toward the curly-haired man. And, once again it was Dan’s turn to over analyze something as simple and innocuous  as a look between fellow club members. Like Monika, Arin’s eyes seem to see through him, rather than at him. And yet, unlike Monika, his gaze didn’t seem as if it were dissecting him like a frog in a biology lab, but rather as a puzzle that needed to be pieced back together.  
  
    God, Dan thought to himself, Do I really have a weird fixation on people’s eyes, or what?  
  
    “Right,” he agreed, “I mean, just look at me and Sayori. We’ve been friends for god knows how long. And, sometimes  even we slip up and accidentally say some stupid shit too each other.”  
  
    “Definitely,” Sayori chimed in, “When that happens, you just have to look at them and remind them of your boundaries. But, good friends usually are able to learn from that, and don’t always let little things get in the way of their friendship.”  
  
    Sayori giggled as she tackled Dan’s shoulders in a friendly hug. The taller man yelped in surprise, before leaning down and playfully ruffling her hair with a playful grin. Out of the corner of his vision, he swear that he saw Monika make a face, but it passed too briefly for him to know for certain if it was just his imagination or not.

“Well, thank goodness that’s settled.” Monika said, adopting an officious tone, like conductor leading a marching band “Okay, everyone! It’s time to share our poems with each other!”  
  
    Dan felt a rock had dropped in the pit of his stomach. Oh right, he remembered, they still had to share their poems. Well, he sighed as he pulled out his notebook, so much for me being in the Literature Club. It was fun while it lasted. Once they saw these poems, they were definitely going to think that he was a terrible writer and kick him out of the club.  
  
    Wait, he thought again, why was he so fearful of that in the first place? Joining the club hadn’t been his idea in the first place. Had he really gotten that attached to the club literally overnight?  
    But, he wondered as he looked over at the other five club members, who should he share his poem with first. Carefully, he weighed all of his options, trying to figure out which one of them would be the least likely to use his poem as kindling for the fire to roast him over.  
  
    Sighing, he approached Sayori. She at least seemed like she’d try to spare his feelings, even if he didn’t want her to.  She smiled cheerfully as he handed her poem. Her blue eyes scanned the lines of the notebook as she read. Once more, a knot of nervousness tied itself in his stomach as he watched her expression change, becoming more and more curious and ponderous.  Finally, she looked up.  
  
    “This is,” she said, “Pretty good, Danny!”  
  
    “C’mon,” he said, hoping to dig a little more of a critique from her, “Be honest with me. It’s sucks.”  
  
    “Not at all,” she replied, shaking her head, “I mean, I like the emotion of the poem, and how you mixed a lot of the really cute and simple words with darker undertones. It makes me feel like the subject of the poem is trying to appear one way, but there’s always this bit underneath that they know isn’t right. You know?”  
  
    Was that was he was trying, he wondered? He hadn’t even really given much in the way of the poems meaning. He’d really just picked what words sounded cool and worked well together.  Or did Sayori manage to apply a sort of personal meaning into her interpretation of the poem?  
  
    “Heh,” he smirked, “I really just threw stuff together and saw what stuck. I didn’t really put that much thought into what it meant. But, I guess that it could mean that, if you looked at it a certain way.”  
  
    “Right,” Sayori agreed, “But, all the same, it also feels a little too...unfocused? Like, it’s hard to tell who this poem is written for, y’know?”  
  
    Dan sighed, running his fingers through his hair. There it was, he thought, there was  the first thing wrong with his poem. Though, admittedly, this was probably a lot nicer of a criticism of the story than he had been expecting. And, yeah, he agreed that the poem, as it was, was a  bit too unfocused.  
  
    “Yeah,” he nodded, “I’ll make sure to work on that next time.”  
  
    Now, Sayori handed him her poem. Quietly, he read over the words. The poem, from what he could tell, was about a person not wanting to wake up in the morning, but being coaxed out of bed by the warm, gentle promise of sunshine. The words were sweet and gentle, like Sayori herself. That was, until they hit the last line. The last line felt almost jarring in comparison to the rest of the poem, but also felt very true to Sayori as well.  
  
    “Sayori,” he asked, “It’s not bad, but did you write this before you came to school today?”  
  
    Sayori laughed nervously, pushing her fingertips together in a little triangle.  
  
    “Eheheh,” she said, “Kinda. I forgot that we were supposed to write poems today, so I had to come up with something.”  
  
    “Geez Sayori,” Dan teased with a sigh, “And you give me hell about me being lazy sometimes. Just try a little harder next time, okay?”  
  
    “Heh,” She laughed, nervously, “Well, next time I’ll show you. I’m gonna write the best poem ever!”  
  
    She laughed, hopping on one foot as she punched the air, flashing an enthusiastic peace sign with a determined grin and a wink.  Although he knew this kind of energy to be normal of Sayori, he couldn’t help but feel like she was perhaps trying to be a bit too cheerful. Like she was putting on an act to make it seem like his simple light hearted jab at her hadn’t bothered her as deeply as it seemed.  
      
    Hadn’t they literally just talked about something like this less than five minutes ago?

* * *

 

    Now that he and Sayori had exchanged poems, he figured that he should move on to the next person. Logically, he felt like that would be Natsuki. Though, he admitted, he also felt like she was going to be one of his toughest critics. She was easily very dead set on what she liked and disliked, that he was sure she’d be turned away by the darker undertones.  
  
    Natsuki frowned as she read the poem, her eyebrows furrowing as if she were having a hard time figuring out a few of the lines and was having to go back and re-read them. However, her expression wasn’t outright displeased, so that had to be something, right?  
  
    “Ugh!,” She groaned, “I would have been much more comfortable sharing my poem with you, if your’s had been bad. Then I could have been like ‘ _Here’s how you really write a poem_ ’. But then, you just had to go ruin it for me.”  
  
    “What do you mean?”  
  
    “Ugh,” she huffed, “Do I really gotta spell it out for you?”  
  
    “No,” he said, “I just meant that it’d be nice if you gave a me a reason why you think it’s bad, instead of just telling me that it is.”  
  
    “I-I never,” Natsuki said defensively “I never said that it was ‘bad’. Or that I didn’t like it, or anything. It’s just that sounds like you were trying way too hard to do way too much. It just looks all messy and goes all over the place.”  
  
    Dan bit his lip, subconsciously trying to prevent the immature and juvenile part of his brain from making an inappropriate joke. Thankfully, Natsuki didn’t seem to notice or care as she handed it back to him, and then giving him her own poem.  
  
    She smirked proudly, her hands on her hips as he read, as if she believed that she had written the most clever poem ever.  Her poem, he noted, was a very quick read, full of short words and sentences. But, it was those short, simple words that packed a powerful punch, managing to cut straight to the heart of the poem very quickly.  
  
    Dan looked at her, thinking of the right words to say that wouldn’t accidentally make her feel like he either like the poem, or unintentionally make her feel self conscious.  Unfortunately, in his indecision, he had been left staring far too long, which made the pigtailed girl start to feel antsy.  
  
    “D-Don’t look at me like that!” she said, “Stop staring at me like a deer in the headlights and just tell me you don’t like it.”  
  
    “Hey now,” Dan said, “I don’t hate it. Actually, I kind of liked it. I liked how the poem used simple words to get it’s point across, and sort of had a rhyme scheme going on until the last bit. It really made it clear the frustration the speaker feels.”  
  
    Natsuki seemed momentarily taken aback, seeming to expect him to have laughed off the poem as something immature and childish.  
  
    “Y-yeah,” she said, “Exactly!”  
  
    “Why were you so convinced I wouldn’t like it,” Dan asked.  
  
    “Well,” she explained defensively, “Everyone in high school thinks that writing has to be all sophisticated and stuff. So, nobody even bothers taking my writing seriously. They just think it’s kid’s stuff.”  
  
    Dan stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. Between this and their earlier conversation in the closet, Natsuki seemed very self-conscious of how people perceived her, and not just about her interest in manga. He couldn’t help but admit that part of him sympathized with her. After all, it wasn’t like he wasn’t familiar with the idea of people judging him based on first impression alone.  
  
    He’d only been there a day, and part of him worried that the others club members already had built their own image of who he was and what he was going to be. And, while part of him feared that he wouldn’t live up to their ideas, part of him also wanted to break those preconceived notions and let them get to know the real him.  
  
    “Isn’t the whole point of poetry to express yourself?” Dan asked, “You shouldn’t have to try to cater to what everyone else likes.”  
  
    “Right,” she agreed, “It’s just that it’s super disheartening seeing everyone around you being really good at stuff, while you’re just stuck trying your best. That’s what the poem’s about, anyways. Besides, I like using simple words--- it puts a lot more emphasis on the wordplay. Like how I set up that rhyme, but then it fails at the end. It helps bring out the feeling of the last line.”  
  
    Dan whistled under his breath. That was actually really impressive, he admitted to himself. He had thought the poem was just simple and to the point, but there was a lot of meta subtext that one wouldn’t easily pick up on unless they were paying attention. A lot more work went into this poem than he realized.  
  
    “Wow,” he said, “That’s really impressive. You really put a lot of thought into this poem.”  
  
    Again, Natsuki smirked proudly squaring her shoulders as she tried to draw herself to full height. Even at her full height, the tiny girl barely even came up to Dan’s chest. But, that was more due to the fact that Dan himself was practically a walking palm tree than it was with Natsuki’s diminutive stature.  
  
    “Heh,” she said, “I guess that’s what it means to be a pro. I guess you could learn something from me, after all.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan said lightly, “It sounds like you really know what your talking about. I guess I underestimated you.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Natsuki beamed, but quickly found herself cut off, “I guess that I---Hey wait a minute! What’s that supposed to mean?!”  
  
    “Um, nothing!” Dan said quickly, “Just that I just mean that haven’t seen you at your full power, yet!”  
  
    Hurriedly, Dan walked over to Yuri as he noticed Sayori approaching Natsuki. Silently, he thanked Sayori for distracting her before she could chase after him and tackle him to the ground over that comment.

Several moments of silence passed between Dan and the purple haired young woman. Yuri’s eyes seemed to dart everywhere but toward the space where Dan was currently standing. Clearing his throat, Dan handed her his paper.  
  
    Another long silence passed awkwardly as Yuri dissected his poem in her mind. Dan wondered if he should have just gone ahead and read her poem while he was waiting for her to say something.  Instead, her bangs cascaded over her eyes, as she stared down, her breathing somewhat shallow.  
  
    “Um....Yuri?” he asked, “You doing okay there?”  
  
    “Ummm?” she gasped, suddenly snapping back to reality before clearing her throat, “Oh...yes. I’m fine. It’s just that I was trying to articulate the words to describe this poem in my head.”  
  
    “Well,” Dan asked, “What did you think?”  
  
    “Um....” she began, twisting a strand of her long dark hair around her finger, “You don’t really write poems like this all that often, do you?”  
  
    Dan’s heart sank a little. He knew that she wouldn’t like it. She probably thought it was amateurish and rifled with errors and missteps. He shouldn’t have even bothered to show her his poem, he thought. Apparently, Yuri seemed to noticed his crestfallen frown, as a crimson blush heated her cheeks forcing her to look away from him.  
  
    “It’s not that I think it’s bad,” she said, “Quite the opposite. I just feel like it has many of the same mistakes that new writers make when attempting an newer genre or style. It feels more that you were more concerned with experimenting with a new style that you didn’t think through the subject as throughly as you could have.”  
  
    Well, that was three for three so far on the point of his poem lacking focus. Yuri did have a point, though. Perhaps he was more focused on the fact that he wanted to write a poem that impressed someone that he didn’t necessarily think about what he was writing itself.    
  
    Usually, though, he realized, this wasn’t  necessarily a problem when it came to the songs he wrote. But, those had all been ideas first before they had been written down onto paper. Here, it felt like he had had the poem first, and just tried to fit his ideas around it.  
  
    “Don’t worry, though,” she said, “Even I fell prone to these kinds of mistakes when I was starting out. As you write more and get more comfortable with the type of style your going for, it’ll be easier for you to focus your work and figure out what works for you.”  
  
    Dan heaved another sigh of relief. Eventhough it didn’t seem that Natsuki was outwardly impressed by his style, her gentle attempts at reassurance did at least give him some hope that she might have somewhat liked it, or at the very least saw potential in his writing.  
  
    Nervously, he began to read hers. Unlike Sayori and Natsuki, Yuri seemed unable to maintain eye contact with him as he glanced down at the paper. The poem, from what he could tell, seemed to be about ghost. But, knowing the more elaborate writing style of Yuri, it was likely that it wasn’t just about a ghost, but rather some sort of metaphysical concept or emotion.  
  
    “I’m sorry,” Yuri apologized, “That my handwriting is terrible.”  
  
    “It fine,” Dan replied, “I didn’t think that your handwriting was terrible at all.”  
  
    “O-oh,” Yuri said, “It’s just that you took a long time to read it. I was worried that it was hard to read.”  
  
    “Nah,” Dan said, “It’s just that I don’t really read cursive all that often. It just took me a little while. Besides, I liked you’re poem a lot! It was kind of short, but also super descriptive.”  
  
  
    “You didn’t think that it was too short did you?” she asked, “I usually write longer poems. But, I figured that since this was our first time sharing poems and everything, that something a little shorter would be easier on everyone.”  
  
    Now that Yuri seemed to be on a subject that she felt much more at home with, she once again shed the timidness that surrounded her like a veil. She sat up straighter, her hands folded in front of her as she met Dan’s gaze with an intense, focused stare. Her voice sounded clearer and louder as she stumbled over her words less and less. It was almost amazing to him that this was the same shy bookworm that he’d met in the club just yesterday.  She seemed almost like a different person.  
  
    “So,” Dan asked, “I don’t want to sound stupid or anything, but is this poem about a ghost?”  
  
    “In a literal sense, yes.” Yuri explained, “ But the literal and the metaphorical aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. A single work can be viewed as both. On a metaphorical level, the subject of the poem is perhaps not actually a ghost, but rather is an individual who lingers in their last place of remaining comfort, unable to let go of the past. And soon, they might be left with nothing....”  
  
    Dan blinked, feeling a spine-chilling cold wash over him. That was pretty intense, he thought, and in a way kind of sad as well. But then, how could he have not seen that, he wondered. After all, the vivid imagery of the poem painted a portrait of sadness and comfort that seemed so real to him.  Silently, he wondered if Yuri had wrote this poem from some sort of personal experience that happened in her life.  
  
    “That’s a kind of solemn take on things,” he said, “I hadn’t even really looked at it that way. I’m impressed!”  
  
    “Well,” Yuri smiled softly, “It’s nothing really. I’m really glad that you think that, Danny. I’m sure it won’t be long before you start picking up on these things as well, “  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “Your probably right. I guess I’ll have to keep trying. Thanks Yuri!”  
  
    Yuri nodded. However, once more awkward silence had snaked its way between them. Now that there was nothing more to say about the poems, he found it increasingly difficult to start a new conversation with the shy, purple haired woman.  
  
    After a few moments of moving his mouth soundlessly, his words caught in his throat, he decided that it was probably time to move on to someone else.  The only options left at this point where Monika and Arin. And in a way, he seemed pretty hesitant about showing his poem to either of them.  
    A coin toss decided that he should talk to Monika first. After all, she had seemed pretty eager about reading his poem. It wouldn’t be fair to deny her that, even if the last three critiques had proved that it was an unfocused mess.  
  
    Monika smiled  as he approached her. Her smile was like honey that had been left in the fridge for a few hours. It was sweet and smooth, but still lightly chilly. Not that it detracted from her beauty, he added. Actually, it seemed only to add to her mysterious charm.  
      
    “Hi, Danny,” She said as she took the paper from his hand, “Having a good time so far?”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan nodded, giving a thumbs up “I’m having a great time!”  
  
    “That’s good to hear,” Monika replied, “Just remember that if you have any questions or any suggestions on how to make the club better, feel free to talk to me. I’m always listening. Don’t be afraid to bring things up, okay?”  
  
    Dan nodded, as he handed her his paper.  Monika expression became blank as her eyes almost robotically scanned the paper, only briefly hovering on a word or two here or there. Dan felt uncomfortably like he was back in middle school again, and that Monika was a teacher grading his homework, rather than his fellow classmate reading his poem.  
  
    Any moment now, he was expecting to see her pull a bright red sharpie pen out of her pocket and scrawl a giant “F” on the top of the paper before handing it back to him.  Much to his surprise, she didn’t.  
  
    Instead, she looked between him and the paper for a moment, as if making sure that the poem she had just read had actually been written by the lanky man in front of her. Soon, however, her smile returned to her.  
  
    “Wow,” she said, “I’m very surprised, Danny.”  
  
    “You are?”  
  
    “Yes, This is actually very good. I wasn’t expecting this from you for your first time writing poems!”  
  
    “Eh,” Dan chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck, “It’s not really the first time that I’ve written anything. It’s really just more like the first time that I’ve tried anything in this style before.”  
  
    “Oh?” Monika asked, perking up, “That’s interesting. I’d be very interesting to hear something written in your usual style.”  
  
    “Ehh,...” Dan hesitated, “Maybe later. I’m not really comfortable with sharing that with anyone, yet.”  
  
    “Ah,” Monika replied, “Embarrassed, huh? Well, don’t worry, Danny. We’re all a little embarrassed about sharing our poems, especially today. It’s just one of those barriers that we’ll all eventually learn to get past soon.”  
  
    “Still,” Dan reminded her, “We still have a poem here to talk about.”  
  
    “Right,” Monika agreed, directing her focus back to the poem in her hand, “I do enjoy this poem. I like that it seems very layered.The juxtaposition of  the more lighthearted words and the darker, more somber metaphors create a nice contrast with one another.”  
  
    “So,” Dan asked, “You don’t think that it’s a little too unfocused or ambitious do you?”  
  
    “Well,” Monika said, “It is a little bit. But, that’s not a bad thing. Here, I think it works really well. It gives the reader the feeling that the speaker themselves are unfocused, unsure of how to make sense of their conflicting thoughts and feelings, but still trying to make sense of it. Its up to them to decide for themselves what they believe is the truth and the right path for them to take.”  
  
    The way she spoke about the poem seemed to strike a chord in Dan’s mind. Although he had certainly not intended for that kind of meaning when he wrote, he wondered if perhaps something in his mind had subconsciously written things that way.  It was weird, though. Both Sayori and Monika seemed to be reading deeper into his poem that he had intended anyone to.  
  
     He remembered hearing once, perhaps in class, about how an author’s true intent becomes almost irrelevant in the eyes of the interpreter. That the author could have started out writing with one purpose, but ultimately, it’s the audience’s interpretation of that work that gives the poem it’s meaning.  He believed the phrase was called ‘Death of the Author’.  
  
    But, he could be wrong.

    “Umm...yeah,” he said, not wanting to tell her that his poem was actual more random than she’d read it as, “I guess that’s one way of looking at it.”  
  
    Monika laughed, putting Dan at ease once more. So far, he realized, he was having a much easier time with her critiques than he had expected. He was sure that she would have laughed him out of the clubroom and locked the door behind him.  
  
    “Still,” she thought aloud, “I don’t know if you’ve showed this to Arin yet or not. It seems like the kind of thing that he would enjoy.”  
  
    “What makes you say that,” Dan wondered.  
  
    “Well,” Monika replied, “It’s just that it’s very experimental, and seems like the type of poem from a writer whose style is constantly changing. Arin  seems like the type that’s constantly trying to try new things with his style, and trying to vary up his subject matter. Granted, that does make him seem a little inconsistent at times. But, it’s sort of a good thing to be unpredictable and to challenge your readers.”  
  
    Dan nodded in agreement, rubbing his chin. He could definitely see where she was coming from. Although, he admitted, there was some value to having a style that one was comfortable with, it was also a good idea to branch out and to experiment, too keep from becoming too stale and formulaic.  
  
    “Well,” Monika continued, handing him her poem, “I guess you should probably read mine, now.”  
  
    As Dan’s eyes traveled along the paper, processing the neatly written words on the paper, he felt himself overcome with a sense of cold dread. Nothing about the poem should have unsettled him--it wasn’t scary or dark like Yuri’s was.  
  
    And  yet, it did.  
  
    It was like he could almost feel the confusion and fear of the subject looking through the hole. He felt like they shouldn’t have been looking through that hole---that he knew what was on the other side, and that he was never meant to know if it’s existence.  
      
    He felt his mouth go dry, his words caught somewhere between being thoughts and verbal sounds. It felt like all he could do was stare stupidly at Monika as she expectantly awaited his response. Loudly, he cleared his throat, as the discomfort in the back of his mind started to fade, allowing him to think more clearly.  
  
    “It’s very freeform,” he began, though he felt like this wasn’t a very strong point to start on. He could have at least told her if he liked it or not.  
  
    Thankfully, Monika didn’t seem to notice. Or at least was too polite to address it.  
  
    “Yeah,” She replied, “That kind of style has started to become very popular lately. That is to say, a lot of poems have been putting emphasis on timing and spacing between words and lines. When read out loud, it can be very powerful.  
  
    “So,” Dan asked, though part of him secretly feared the answer, “What gave you the idea for this poem?”  
  
    Monika giggled once more. Although her laugh sounded as sweet as it always had, Dan could have sworn that there was a faint note of hollowness and desperation behind it. But, he reasoned, that was probably just his imagination playing tricks on him, as usual.  
  
    “Well, I guess you could say that I had a sort of epiphany recently,” she explained, “It’s kind of been influencing a lot of my writing lately.”  
  
    He could definitely tell. It certainly seemed like the kind of poem one would write following a startlingly realization, he thought. But, he wondered exactly what kind of realization Monika had had that influenced this poem?  
  
    “I’m kind of nervous to talk about deep things like that,” Monika continued, “Because it’s kind of coming on strongly. Maybe after everyone’s better friends with everyone, I’ll be able to talk more about it.”  
  
    Dan said nothing, able to do little more than silently agree with her. Although his sense of dread had faded, the mild sense of ease and discomfort didn’t immediately seem to fade with it. At the moment, he was secretly glad that Monika decided not to elaborate any further on her ephinany. He wasn’t sure that he could handle something that deep at the moment.  
  
    “Anyways,” she continued in a singsong voice, “Here’s Monika’s Writing Tip of the Day: When writing, whether it be a poem or a story, you can often find yourself fixated on a certain point. When that happens, try to force yourself to keep writing and move on to the next point. If you try to focus on making things perfect, you might find yourself with your pen hovering and leaving dark puddle of ink all over the paper.”  
  
      
    He couldn’t help but feel that sense of unease finally managing to fade completely, allowing him to breathe normally once more. Monika’s daily writing tip, while odd, at least put him in a better mood.

* * *

 

  Having now finished his critique session with Monika, the only person left to talk to was Arin. Patiently, Dan waited as Arin and Yuri finished discussing each other’s poems. Although he couldn’t hear what either of them were saying, he could tell by the way that Yuri smiled that Arin seemed to have at least somewhat enjoyed her poem. He probably had been better at picking up on the metaphors behind it anyways, Dan guessed.  
  
  
    “‘Morning, Dan” Arin smiled warmly as Dan approached him.  Dan paused, quirking a confused eyebrow at the other man.  
  
    “Dude,” Dan said, “It’s afternoon....”  
  
    “Yeah,” Arin shrugged lightly, “But, aren’t you supposed to say ‘Good Morning’ when someone just wakes up?”  
  
    “What the hell,” Dan asked, even more confused, “are you even talking about, Arin?’  
      
    “Well,” Arin continued, seemingly perturbed by his friend’s confusion, “You fell asleep in class today, didn’t you?”  
  
    “How did you---?”  
  
    For the second time today, Dan felt his blood run cold. How had Arin known that he’d accidentally dozed off in the middle of class today? He and Arin were in completely different classes from each other, and hadn’t even really had a chance to talk to each other until a few minutes ago.  
  
    “Oh?” Arin joked, leaning forward, dramatically wiggling his fingers in front of Dan’s face, “Didn’t I tell you? I’m _psychic_! I know everything!”  
  
    Dan frowned, but breathed a silent sigh of relief. So, Arin was just joking with him. That was good. But still---how had he known about that? He wondered.  
  
    “Okay, smartass,” Dan joked, “If you’re psychic, prove it.”  
  
    “Sure,” Arin replied, accepting the challenge, “Let’s see. Your birthday is March 14th, your favorite color is blue, and ‘Daniel’ is actually your middle name, not your first name, but everyone’s been calling you by that since you were a kid. Does that do anything for you?”  
  
    Dan stared at him wide-eyed and pale, caught between impressed awe and frightened terror. Maybe there was some nugget of truth to Arin’s joke about being a psychic after all. The other man smirked, adjusting his glasses and folding his arms behind his head, obviously amused by Dan’s awe.  
  
    “ _Whoa_....” Dan breathed.  
  
    “Heh,” Arin confessed with a chuckle, “Okay, I’ll admit it; I lied. Sayori actually told me all that. She’s also the one who told me about you falling asleep in class.”  
  
    Dan groaned, lightly shoving Arin in the arm. Of course, he sighed, he should have known that Arin was just fucking with him. Besides, it wasn’t like he believed in stuff like astrology or psychics. He was barely even sure if he believed in the concept of fate or destiny.  
  
    “Sayori talks about you a lot,” Arin added, “A lot of nice things, though. She really cares a lot about you, you know.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan said, his expression softening as he glanced over at Sayori, sharing her poem with Monika “Sayori and I have been friends ever since we were kids.  I mean, I guess that if we’d became friends nowadays, we wouldn’t be the type of people who’d we see making friends with each other, and she can be a bit annoying at times. But, we’ve been through a lot together. And, I dunno, I guess we kind of care about each other.”  
  
    Dan barely noticed as Arin’s expression clouded with a troubled look, silently shaking his head. Carefully, Arin balanced his chin on his folded hands. His brown eyes closed, and his lips slightly parted as if in silent prayer. The other man couldn’t help but vaguely wonder if he had perhaps accidentally sparked something in Arin’s memory, forcing him to recall a less than pleasant part of his past.  
  
    “Are you okay, dude?” Dan asked,, “I didn’t say something to upset you or anything, did I?”  
  
    Arin loudly coughed as he snapped out of his introspective meditation. Embarrassed, the absently shuffled a few loose papers on his desk as a faint pink blush painted his cheeks.  
  
    “Oh,” he said, adjusting his glasses, “Uh....I’m fine. Yeah, I was just letting my mind wander off. I’m totally cool now.”  
  
    Dan, although still not fully convinced, decided not to push any further. Whatever had brought about that sudden mood change in Arin wasn’t his business.  For now, it was just best to accept that, and just trust that if and when Arin felt comfortable enough to talk about it, he would.  
  
    “Anyways,” Arin continued, “We probably should be reading each other’s poems, right? I mean, that’s why we’re here, right?”  
  
    The two men exchanged papers with one another and began reading.  Dan’s eyes followed the poem, a short, simple and straightforward poem entitled “ _A Friend_ ”:  
  
_- **A Friend** -_

  
_A friend is someone you want to be around._  
  
_Lazy afternoons and long nights spent playing videogames,_  
  
_Laughing as you make silly jokes and read the lines in funny voices,_  
  
_Sharing stories of days past as we snuggle close._  
  
  
  
_Everyday with them still feels as exciting as the first time you met._  
  
_And yet as comfortable as if you've known them for a thousand lifetimes._  
  
  
  
_A friend should be someone who has your back._  
  
_A shoulder to cry on when you;re sad._  
  
_A listening ear when you need to rant._  
  
_A pair of eyes to see through a veil that they might not see._  
  
_A calming voice to say the things that need to be said._  
  
_Someone who’d do whatever it took to make you better._  
  
_Even if they don't know what that is yet._  
  
  
    Thankfully, unlike with Monika’s poem, Dan didn’t feel a vague sense of existential dread and unease when reading this. In fact, Arin’s poem seemed almost comfortable, like wearing an oversized shirt that one had managed to break-in in just the right way.

And yet, for reasons he couldn’t quite place, he couldn’t help but read a faint note of sadness and regret behind the poem. Maybe the fact that everyone else’s poems had been a bit more downbeat and melancholic had colored his perception of this poem. Or perhaps,he wondered, was this poem maybe inspired by whatever it was in Arin’s past that haunted him?  
  
    Dan was more inclined to believe the it was the former, rather than the latter.  
  
    But at the same time, the last lines made the poem seem almost hopeful. Like, somehow the speaker believed he’d messed up their friendship with someone, and knew it, but was determined to make things better.  
  
    He had to have been looking too deeply into this, he thought. After all, it was just a straightforward poem about friendships wasn’t it?  
  
    As he looked up, he saw Arin staring at him with a puzzled expression. Definitely not the first time his poem had produced that expression, Dan thought to himself.    
  
    “So,” Arin asked, “Which one of us should go first?”  
  
    “I guess I could go first,” Dan said, shrugging, “Okay...so, like, it kind or reminds me a little bit of Natsuki’s style, but a little more complex, I guess? I like how changing one word, and using “ A friend should” instead of “A friend is” in the second half kind of shifts the entire focus a little bit. Like, there’s a bit of a story going on with the speaker and the subject that we’re not seeing, but the reader themselves is separated enough from the story that all they can do is just draw their own conclusions as to what’s going on.”  
  
    “I mean, I guess you could look at it that way,” Arin replied, “I just thought I was being pretty straightforward with it, though. It’s kind of funny, since you were talking all about how you and Sayori are friends, but I wrote this poem about a friend who's special to me, too.”  
  
   "Special to you?"  
  
    Once more, Arin’s eyes clouded over, his expression faraway and remorseful, dangerously close to wandering too deep into thought again.  
  
    “It’s a complicated matter,” Arin sighed, “It’s just---look, a lot of bad things happened because of me, okay? I don’t really want to talk about it, yet. I don’t think you’d really understand.”  
      
    Dan almost swore that he heard the other man mutter something under his breath. But the words were spoken too softly for anyone but Arin to hear. _So, the mystery thickens_ , Dan thought to himself.  He wondered if perhaps Arin had transferred schools in attempt at a fresh start; to free himself of the perceived sins of his past?

“Anyways,” Arin said, “I guess I should probably talk about your poem now, right?”  
  
    “That would probably be a good place to start,” Dan snarked, “But if everyone else’s critique is to go by, then there’s really only so many ways I can hear that my poem was too unfocused and tried to do too much.”  
  
    “Well geez,” Arin laughed, jokingly being upset “Now you’ve just taken all the fun out of this. Now I gotta spend  five seconds coming up with something else to say. Five whole seconds Dan! Do you know what I could have been doing in five seconds?! I could have spent that time taking a shit or something. But no, I gotta be sitting here in this literature club, while you go on and make my critiques for me.”  
  
    Against his better judgment, Dan couldn’t help but laugh. There was just something in the purposefully over-exaggerated way that Arin was pretending to rant at tickled the other man, causing him clutch is stomach and rock backwards--a usual occurance for him when someone made him laugh too hard.  The other man seemed to have noticed this as a grin came over his face, and his fake rant became even more over-the-top and nonsensical.  
  
    Finally, the two collapsed into a fit of breathless laughter, practically leaning in on each other. Dan’s face was buried in Arin’s shoulder, while Arin put his arm around Dan’s shoulder, giving him a one-armed hug.  
  
    “Um....anyways,” Arin cleared his throat, as the two pulled away, resuming the friendly but formal air between them, “Yeah, about your poem. Like, I do get where everyone’s coming from on what they said. And, I could totally see where it could work in this poem. But, I dunno...it’s just...”  
  
    “What?”  
  
    “Well,” Arin said, “It kind of comes off like you were aiming to impress someone, and it doesn’t really come off sounding like you. Which, okay---might not be a bad thing, exactly. Like, if want to write something for someone, or about someone, that’s cool.  And it’s usually a pretty good idea to take honest criticisms and make changes over something when needed. That’s not what I’m talking about. It’s more like, you should also remember that your own voice and opinons matter, too. And you shouldn’t force yourself to be something your not, just because you think it’ll impress someone.”  
      
    Again, Dan agreed. Though, admittedly, he wasn’t exactly sure that he would say that that was what he’d set out to do. But, then again he admitted, reading back over his poem, this poem really didn’t sound like anything that he actually would have written, did it? Sure, he’d argue that his focus was a little varied; he had just as many semi-angsty songs about serious subjects as he did light, bouncy jams about goofy topics.  
  
    But, reading back over his poem, he could kind of see where Arin was coming from.  
  
    “Besides,” Arin continued, “Writing for yourself can be a pretty interesting experience. You might discover something about yourself that you never realized. Or you could bring up some old memories that you might have forgotten about.”  
  
    He wasn’t sure why, but he found that last part both odd and strikingly true. He couldn’t believe the many times that he’d sat down to write even the goofiest song, and suddenly started recalling random things he’d thought about once when he was younger, or some daydream he’d thought he’d completely forgotten about.

* * *

 

    A few more minutes had passed, as Arin and Dan finished sharing their poems with one another.  Now that he had shared his poem with everyone, Dan figured he’d just sort of wander around the classroom and chill, waiting for everyone else to finish sharing their poems with each other, or for Monika to signal the end of today’s activities.  
  
    He noticed that he wasn’t the only one who was sitting around waiting. Monika, Sayori and Arin all stood around, patiently trying to make idle small talk with one another, as they waited for Natsuki and Yuri to finish sharing thier poems with one another.  
  
    Unfortunately, that seemed like it would take a lot longer than expected. Natsuki’s eyes narrowed as she read over Yuri’s poem. Likewise, it seemed that Yuri was equally confused by Natsuki’s poem, hiding it behind a sad, disappointed smile.  
  
    “ _What’s with this language_?” he heard Natsuki mutter under her breath.  
  
    “Eh?” Yuri asked, looking up from her paper, “Did you say something?”  
  
    “Oh,” Natsuki replied, dismissively returning Yuri’s paper to her, “It’s nothing. I guess that you could say it’s fancy.”  
  
    “Ah,” Yuri mumbled, “T-thanks. Yours is....cute, I guess.”  
  
    Natsuki’s glare deepened. Oh no, Dan thought sighing to himself as he shared a look with the others. This was gonna turn into a repeat of the argument between Arin and Monika that happened at the beginning of the meeting, wasn’t it?  
  
    “Cute?” Natsuki snapped, “Did you completely miss the symbolism or something? It’s clearly about the feeling of giving up. How is that cute?!”  
  
    “I-I know that,” Yuri stammered, tripping over her own words “I just meant....the language, I guess. I was trying to say something nice.”  
  
    “Eh?” Natsuki put her hands on her hips, “You mean you have to try that hard to think of something nice to say? Thanks, but it didn’t really come out nice at all.”  
  
    “Um,” Yuri continued, “Well, I do have a couple suggestions that might help.”

  
    “Hmph,” Natsuki replied, crossing her arms, “If I was asking for suggestions, I would have asked someone who actually liked it. Which people did, by the way! Sayori liked it. And Arin liked it. And Danny did too! Based on that, I’ll gladly give you some suggestions of my own! First of all---”  
  
    Yuri’s eyes narrowed, as her posture became less withdrawn and more assertive. She was like a snake that reared back, poised to strike. Natsuki, likewise, seemed relentless, confident in her own abilities.  
  
    “Excuse me,” Yuri responded, curtly, “I appreciate your offer. But, I spent a long time developing my writing style, and I don’t see myself changing it anytime soon, unless I come across something particularly inspiring.”  
  
    She elegantly flipped her long, violet hair as she motioned toward where Dan and the others stood.  
  
    “And,” she added, “Danny liked my poem as well, you know.”  
  
    The petite, pink haired girl smirked, standing up her hands back on her hips looking triumphantly as if she’d just figured everything out.  
  
    “Oh,” she replied, “I didn’t realize you were so invested in trying to impress our new member, Yuri.”  
  
    Yuri’s blush deepened from a cherry-blossom pink, to a cherry red. All semblance of elegant composure that she had pretended to have had melted like a snowman in an oven.  
  
    “T-that’s not,” She replied, flustered, “That’s not what I---”  
  
    Yuri made a noise as she stood up as well.  
  
    “Maybe you’re just jealous,” Yuri continued sharply, “That Danny appreciated my advice more than he appreciated yours!”  
  
    Exasperated, Dan ran his fingers through his hair. They’d literally given him the exact same advice. There was literally no need for either of them to be fighting over him. Just because he was the new guy, didn’t mean that they had to take everything he said so seriously.  
  
    “Hmph,” Natsuki replied, stamping her foot, “How do you know he appreciated your advice more?! Are you really that full of yourself?”  
  
    Yuri was angry. Her eyes narrowed into a cold icy stare that felt as if it made the temperature in the room drop a couple degrees. Clearly, the shorter girl had said too much, and Yuri was not going to let her stand by and talk like that.  
  
    “Well,” Yuri replied coldly, “If I were trying to be full of myself. I would try to go out of my way to deliberately make everything I do overly cutesy.”  
    Now, Natsuki was the one who was beyond angry. She made a high pitched, angry growl, like an angry puppy as she clenched her fist. Dan swallowed nervously. Natsuki was really going to punch Yuri in the face, wasn’t she?  
  
    Helplessly, he shot a panicked glance at Arin, as if asking him to step in and try to intervene. Arin, however, seemed about as lost as Dan did. Likewise, it seemed that Monika was also at a loss for words. None of them wanted to be the first to step into this argument, and risk having their limbs torn off by either girl.  
  
    However, it was Sayori who decided to make the first move, stepping in between Yuri and Natsuki.  
  
    “Ummm....” Sayori asked, chuckling nervously, “Is everyone okay?”  
  
    But she might as well have been asking that question to a brick wall, as that neither girl payed any attention to her as they continued arguing.  
  
    “Well,” Natsuki said, “You know what?! I’m not the one who’s boobs magically grew two sizes when the boys joined the club! Especially not after Danny joined!”  
  
    Yuri’s face was almost as purple as her hair. Absently, she adjusted her grey jacket, trying unsuccessfully to cover herself.  
  
    “Natsuki!” she yelped, “A-are you implying that I stuff my bra?!”  
  
    “Umm, Natsuki,” Monika said nervously, now making an attempt to break up the fight, “That’s a little---”  
  
    Both of the feuding girls now turned their attention to the Club President, glaring at her like a pack of wild wolves.  
  
    “This doesn’t involve you!” they snapped, almost in unison.    
  
    Monika sighed defeatedly, taking a step back to let the rest of the fight unfold without her interference  Well, at least she had tried.

“Please don’t fight!” Sayori cried suddenly, “I don’t like when you guys fight!”  
  
    “Guys,” Arin added, “Seriously, knock it off! This is getting way too out of hand!”  
  
    Suddenly, both Natsuki and Yuri turned toward Dan, as if they’d just realized that he was standing there. Dan felt a creeping sense of dread and panic wash over him as he found himself trapped between the two girls.  
  
    He really didn’t want to get involved in this.  But, they weren’t gonna give him a choice were they?  
  
    “Danny!” Yuri whined, “S-she’s just trying to make me look bad!”  
  
    “That’s not true!” Natsuki protested, “She started it! If she could get over herself and learn to appreciate that simple writing is more effective, then none of this would have happened in the first place! What’s the point of making your poems all convoluted with no reason, anyways? The reader shouldn’t have to be forced to figure out the meaning; it should be able to jump out at them! Danny, help me explain that to her!”  
  
    “Wait,” Yuri countered, “There’s a reason we have so many deep and expressive words in our language. It’s the only way to convey complex feelings and abstract thoughts effectively. Avoiding them not only unnecessarily limits yourself, but is also very wasteful! You understand that, right, Danny?”  
  
    Dan wished for nothing more than to flee the clubroom and hide someplace a little quieter. It was a little difficult for him to take sides on this disagreement, he admitted. On one hand, he understood perfectly where both girls were coming from in this argument. But at the same time, he didn’t want to upset either one of them or make them feel like their opinion was invalid by agreeing with the other one.  
  
    Nervously, Dan looked to Sayori. She usually knew what to say to make things better. Though, judging by how the other two girls had ignored her earlier, he wasn’t sure that it either one of them were going to listen to her.  
  
    “Umm....” Dan began, “Ahh! All of your fighting is making Sayori really uncomfortable! How can you two keep fighting when you know you’re making your friend feel like this?!”  
  
    “Danny...” Sayori breathed, unsure of what to say.  
  
    “Well,” Natsuki huffed, “that her problem, isn’t it? This isn’t about her.”  
      
    “I agree,” Yuri said, “It’s unfair for others to inject their own feelings into our conflict.”  
  
    Dan sighed. That seemed kind of hypocritical, didn’t it? They didn’t want Sayori injecting her feelings into their arguement, but both of them were perfectly fine asking for him to take sides?  
  
    “Yeah,” Natsuki agreed, “Unless Sayori want’s to tell Yuri that she’s being a stuck up jerk, like she’s being.”  
  
    “She would never!” Yuri protested, “It’s your immaturity that made her upset in the first place!”  
  
    Seriously, Dan wondered, were they now really arguing about who made Sayori upset?  
  
    “Excuse me?” Natsuki asked, the anger rising again in her voice, “Are you listening to yourself? This is exactly why nobody---”  
  
    Before Natsuki could finish that sentence with something hurtful to say, they were interrupted as Sayori slammed her hand down on the desk. A ringing silence filled the air as everyone looked at Sayori, the corners of her blue eyes glimmering with tears.  
  
    “STOP IT!” Sayori cried, “Natsuki! Yuri! You guys are my friends! I-I just want my friends to get along and be happy!”  
  
    The two girls exchanged glances with one another as Sayori choked back a sob.  
  
    “My friends are wonderful people!” she continued, “And I love them because of how different everyone is! Natsuki’s poems are amazing because they use so few words to give so many feelings. And Yuri’s poems are great because they manage to paint really vivid, beautiful pictures in your head! Everyones really talented! So, why are we fighting?!”  
  
    The other two girls were at a loss for words, stumbling through half-formed excuses to justify their argument. But, under Sayori’s friendly, pleading gaze, they found that none of their excuses held water.  
  
    “That’s right,” Arin added, “Everyone’s got their own style, you know. Just because it’s different than someone else’s doesn’t make it invalid. It’s like with art; just because one person’s doing a realistic painting and someone else is doing a stylized digital drawing, doesn’t mean that the same amount of thought didn’t go into making them.”  
  
    “Also,” Sayori continued, her face brightening, “Natsuki is cute and there’s nothing wrong with that! And Yuri’s boobs are the same as they’ve always been; big and beautiful!”  
  
  
    Dan facepalmed. _Way to completely stick the landing and totally not make things awkward, Sayori,_ he thought to himself with a groan.  Next to him, he heard Arin stifle an amused laugh.  
  
    Sayori stood triumphantly. Behind her, Monika stood with a bewildered expression on her face.  
  
    “I-I’ll make some tea,” Yuri said finally, a tiny, shy smile coming across her face as she left the classroom.  
  
    Natsuki sat down, a blank expression on her face, as if not entirely sure how to process what just happened.  
  
    “So,” Dan whispered to Monika, “This is why Sayori is Vice-President, huh?”  
  
    “Yeah,” Monika replied, “To be honest. I might come off as a good leader, and I can organize things pretty well. But, I’m not very good with people. I couldn’t even bring myself to interject. As President, that’s kind of embarrassing, isn’t it?”  
  
    “Nah,” Dan replied, shaking his head “It’s not like I was really able to say anything, either.”

  
    “I guess,” Monika said, “That that just means that Sayori is amazing in her own way, isn’t she?”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “You could say that. I mean, she might be kind of an airhead, but it’s kind of weird that she sometimes seems to know exactly what she’s doing.”  
  
  
    “I see,” Monika said “Take good care of her, okay? I would hate to see her get herself hurt.”  
  
    “That makes two of us,” Dan agreed, “Don’t worry, I’ll do what I can.”  
  
    Monika smiled sweetly at him, and once more he felt a knot in his chest. Such a genuine and caring person, he thought, really did make a good club president, regardless of what she might think of herself. If only he could have gotten the chance to talk to her a little more.  And still, that quiet note of discomfort, like a piano key that was slightly off tune, played in the back of his mind.  
  
    “Okay everyone,” Monika said, resuming her officious tone, “It’s just about time to leave. How did everyone like sharing their poems?”  
  
    “It was a lot of fun,” Sayori replied enthusiastically  
  
    “Well,” Natsuki replied with an indifferent shrug, “It was okay, I guess.”  
      
    “I’d say it was worth it,” Yuri agreed.  
  
    “All except for that last part,” Arin said, “It was pretty good.”  
      
    “Yeah,” Dan nodded, “It was a pretty cool thing to talk about with everyone.”  
  
    Monika seemed pleased. Clapping her hands together, she beamed at the group, delighted that her suggestion had turned out to be such a good idea.  
  
    “Awesome,” she said, “In that case, we’ll do the same thing tomorrow, too! And maybe you learned something from everyone, so tommorrow’s poems will be even better!”  
  
    Dan, once more, nodded in agreement, thinking back on the previous events. He had definitely learned at lot during the critique session. While he still wanted to attempt to at least appeal to one of the other club members, he figured that he’d try to do it more in something that felt his own style.  
  
    After a few moments, Yuri and Natsuki had left the club room. Dan decided to hang around a little longer as he idly began jotting down notes and ideas for his next poem, when Sayori approached him.  
  
    “Hey, Danny!” she said cheerfully.

  
    “Hey, Sayori,” he replied, “Uh....listen, about earlier?”  
  
    “What about earlier?” Sayori’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.  
  
    “With Natsuki and Yuri fighting,” Dan asked, “Does that happen very often?”  
  
    “No, no, no no!” Sayori shook her head, “That’s really the first time that I’ve really seen either of them get like that! I promise they’re both wonderful people.”  
  
    “What about Arin and Monika,” Dan asked, “They don’t fight like that very often, either, do they?”  
  
    “Oh,” Sayori explained, “Not really. I mean, they disagree a lot. And I wouldn’t exactly call what they had a fight so much as Arin just standing up for Natsuki. Everyone’s usually really great friends.”  
  
    Dan breathed a sigh of relief. Well, it was good to know that these kinds of conflicts weren’t as common as today had made him believe. Still, he couldn’t help but feel bothered by that. Was it just because it was their first time sharing poems that had brought out this tension in everyone? Or was it Dan’s mere presence in the club that had put everyone on edge?  
  
    “You don’t,” Sayori asked quietly, “Hate them do you?”  
  
    “What?” Dan asked, startled, “Not at all! I just wanted your opinion, that’s all. I mean, seeing as you’ve been in the club a lot longer than I have, I figured that you’d probably have a better idea how everyone usually acts and everything. I can see why they make good friends with you.”  
  
    Sayori sighed in relief, wiping her forehead.  
  
    “You know, Danny,” she said, her expression softening, “It’s nice that we get to spend so much time together, now. We haven’t really done that in a long time, have we? But, I think seeing you get along with everyone makes me the happiest. And I think everyone really likes you, too!”  
  
    “That’s---” Dan started, but was cut off by Sayori’s warm laugh.  
  
    “Everyday is gonna be so much fun,” She said, throwing her arms around his neck.  
  
    Once more, Dan thought to himself, it seemed like Sayori was absolutely oblivious to the kind of situation he was in.  Sure, he could see himself being friends with everyone in the club.  
  
    But, he wondered if it would really stop there. Did one of the club members possibly have a crush on him? And what would happen if one of them did possibly confess to him---would he find himself falling in love with one of them, or would he be happy just being friends?  
  
    “So,” Dan said, “Are you ready to walk home?”  
  
    “Ummm....” Sayori replied reluctantly, “Well, Monika and I were going to stay after to discuss some plans for the school festival. I mean, you can wait for me, if you want, but it might take a while.”  
  
    Dan gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. He felt bad that they wouldn’t be able to walk home with Sayori like she wanted to do. But, on the other hand, he was sure they’d have plenty of opportunities to walk to and from school together that missing one day wouldn’t be the end of the world.  
  
    He was about to say something, when Arin walked up beside him. He seemed nervous about something, Dan noticed, constantly shooting glances over his shoulder as if he were afraid of someone listening in on him.  Or that he was afraid that Dan and Sayori would make fun of him or something.  
  
    “Hey,” Arin said, “I couldn’t help but overhearing. I was thinking that maybe--if he wanted to, y’know---Dan and I could hang out with each other while he waits. That way, he won’t have to get bored waiting for you alone or anything, and you guys could still walk home together. I mean, only if Dan is cool with that and everything.”  
  
    Dan’s expression became contemplative as he thought over his options. Part of him sort of wanted to go straight home and start reading that manga that Natsuki had given him, as well as try to get a start on that poem he was supposed to be writing for tomorrow’s meeting. On the other hand, it did mean that he’d get a little more time to hang out and get to know the mysterious transfer student he knew so little about.  
  
    “Sure, I guess I wouldn’t mind,” Dan shrugged, “What do you think Sayori?”  
  
    Sayori’s eyes clouded with an undefinable emotion as she bit her lip, as if torn between two conflicting thoughts. Finally, she sighed, looking up at Arin with a small smile.  
  
    “Sure,” She said, “I mean, I guess that would be okay. I’ll meet you outside the school, later, okay?”  
  
    Sayori smiled, or at least, seemed to wear a smile as she walked away, heading toward Monika’s desk. From her desk, the Club President flashed them one of her usual sweet smiles as she waved to the two men who passed her.  
  
    “Have a good night,” she said, “And don’t forget to bring a poem for tomorrow’s meeting!”  
  
    Dan shivered at the sound of her polite, enthusiastic goodbye. For a flash of a moment, he swore that he saw a glint of something devilish and cunning as her eyes fell on Arin, making them appear more sinister and fox-like than he ever recalled them looking. Her smile, though sweet, seemed tinged with a sharp venom that could burn through skin.    
      
    Something told him that Monika and Arin might not have truly gotten over this afternoon’s fight as quickly as Natsuki and Yuri had gotten over theirs.

  
  
    He just hoped that, for the sake of the club, they’d be able to settle their differences before someone got hurt.

 


	3. Portraits, Posture Problems and Poetry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this one took a little longer to finish than I anticipated. Unfortunately, in the process of writing this chapter, my word processor corrupted the original file, so I ended up having to rewrite the entire chapter again. Anyways, thank you all for enjoying the story so far and being patient with me! As always, feedback is both appreciated and encouraged! :)

  The two men stood in awkward silence outside of the door of the club room, patiently waiting for Monika and Sayori to finish their conversation. Even with his ear pressed against the door, Dan was still unable to hear even the faintest syllable of what the two could possibly be saying. He might as well have been trying to listen while holding a glass up to a padded wall backed with titanium.   
  
  For a moment, Dan wondered if he shouldn’t have just decided to walk home by himself. Or at the very least, he thought, he should have just let Arin go ahead and go home. Although it had been the other man who’d offered to wait with him in the first place, he still couldn’t help but feel that he was somehow being unfair by keeping him here when he could have been doing something else.  
  
 Still though, he thought as he brushed away a loose curl from his face, it did give him an opportunity to actually spend some time with the only other guy in the    
  
 “C’mon,” Arin said, “I wanna show you something really fucking cool. Trust me, you’re gonna love it!”  
  
 Without warning, Arin gently took Dan’s hand, bounding down the empty hallway. The other man reminded Dan of an excited puppy as he fought a losing battle to contain what little appearance of coolness and dignity he’d carefully constructed. Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but smile inwardly as he caught a bit of secondhand gleeful anticipation.  
  
 The curly haired man quirked a curious eyebrow as he and Arin stopped in front of a locked door at the other end of the hallway. Had it not been for the fact that this was a dead end most people would have outright ignored the otherwise nondescript metal door at the end of the hallway.    
  
 Admittedly, until this point, Dan hadn’t even been aware that this door existed, either. Mostly because he never had any reason to actually visit this side of the the floor. But, he wondered why the other man could possibly assume that an locked door that lead to what he guessed was probably some kind of supply closet, was a mystery to him.   
  
 “Hang on,” Arin said, practically shaking with nervous glee as he let go of Dan’s hand, “I need you to turn around for a minute, okay?”

  Dan opened his mouth to protest, but quickly decided against it, instead choosing to reluctantly obey. As he stared fixedly down the hall behind him, his ears picked up the faint sound of jangling metal, as if Arin were trying to shake the handle open, but was met with resistance. He heard the other man whisper something softly under his breath, but once more the words were too soft and mumbled for Dan to fully hear. With a soft click, the lock yielded, and Arin instructed Dan to turn around.  
  
  Much to Dan’s lack of surprise, the tiny, windowless room beyond the door was just about as impressive on the inside as it was the outside. A dim flickering bulb cast a sickly yellow light over the rickety shelves stacked with various bottles filled with oddly colored liquids, and boxes full of various cleaning and maintenance supplies. At the back of the closet, a narrow flight of steps lead up to yet another door. The two men coughed, wrinkling their noses as a faint scent of bleach, floor cleaner and stagnant water drifted from the dark recesses of the room.  
  
  “So, let me see if I’m getting this right,” Dan asked skeptically, “You dragged me here, to the other end of the hallway, to a complete dead end, just to show me this gross supply closet, that you had to break into the first place? You’re right, dude. This is really a surprise. Not sure if I’d say this is cool, though. I mean, what if like one of the maintenance guys just walked up here and saw us?!”  
  
  “First of all,” Arin said pointedly, “They already know that I’ve been going in here. And, as long as I don’t start stealing any of the cleaning supplies, they said they didn’t really give a shit. Second, this wasn’t what I wanted to show you, ya doof.”  
  
  Arin grinned again as he lead Dan past the rusty shelves, climbing up the narrow staircase. For a moment, Dan was hesitant as he tepidly followed close behind. His fingers clutched blindly at the rusted metal pipe that passed as a railing, silently praying that the slightest weight placed upon the grated steps would cause the shaking frame to collapse and give way under his feet, causing him to slip and snap his ankle.   
  
  All things considered, Dan thought to himself, the room itself seemed kind of eerie. Sure, on the surface, it looked like just a normal supply closet. But, there was something about it that didn’t match the rest of the building. Perhaps it was the dim light playing tricks on him, or the odd arrangement of materials within the space, or even the seemingly out-of-place staircase and exit. He felt as if this entire space had somehow awkwardly been squished together with little concern for spatial awareness or overall design  
  
  Arin didn’t pause to wait for Dan as he opened the door, leading them to yet another, much smaller room and another door. Nervously, Dan closed his eyes, his stomach churning as Arin slowly pushed open the final door.

  A sudden burst of fresh air filled Dan’s lungs, forcing him to release a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. His eyes squinted, momentarily blinded by the sudden blast of gentle sunlight that kissed his eyelids.   
  
  Light gray concrete sprawled out around their feet, blocked only in its pursuit of the cloudy blue sky stretched endlessly before them by a low wall of gray brick. A dull, comforting hum filled the air like ambient music, played on oddly shaped structures of metal and concrete that Dan assumed were part of the school’s heating and cooling systems.   
  
  Arin leaned against the door frame, a soft, pleased grin spreading across his lips as he watched the lanky man lean forward against the ledge, closing his eyes as he allowed another gentle breeze to kiss his cheek.  
  
  “Like I said,” Arin smirked, “Pretty cool, huh?”  
  
  Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but agree. Part of him knew that he shouldn’t have been as mystified by this as he currently felt. After all, it was the roof of the school, it wasn’t like there was anything particularly notable up here. And yet, it felt like this place radiated with some kind of magical energy that he couldn’t even begin to describe.  
  
  This place, he thought, felt like a sanctuary, bubbled off and hidden away from the tedium and chaos of the everyday world. Up here, time seemed to flow differently. It was as if he could bend time to his will, slowing it down and stopping it with a simple thought.  
  
  “Dude,” Dan agreed, “It’s awesome! It’s super quiet and peaceful up here, y’know?”  
  
  “Heh,” Arin chuckled, blushing as he nervously rubbed his arm, “Yeah, I like to come up here sometimes to clear my head after class, or when I need a quiet place to focus on writing or drawing.”  
  
  Dan quirked a quizzical eyebrow at the other man, mildly interested. Thinking back, he didn’t quite know why he was surprised that Arin had mentioned drawing. After all, he’d seen Arin sketching in the club room before the meeting earlier that day. And he was sure that he’d caught him idly doodling on the edges of the paper tablecloth covering the desks yesterday.  
  
  “You draw?” he asked, “That’s cool! I always wished I could draw.”  
  
  Quickly, as if struck with a bit of inspiration, Arin’s face lit up as he rummaged through his backpack, withdrawing a worn, rose-colored sketchbook.   
  
  “Dude!” Arin said, “I could totally teach you, if you want.”  
  
  “Really?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin continued, sitting down next to Dan, “It’s not that hard!”  
  
  Uncertainly, Dan sat down beside him, positioning himself so that he’d be able to see over Arin’s shoulder. The other man once more began to rifle through his bag, pulling out a handful of pencils and pens and setting them beside him.

  “Dude,” Dan joked, “I can’t even draw a stick figure without fucking it up. My art is terrible! There’s no way you can teach me.”  
  
  “Totally not true,” Arin made a face as he sat the book on his lap, “I mean, nobody’s perfect when they’re just starting out. Like, do you have any idea how many years of terrible sketches it took before I developed my style? Do you think I came out of the pussy drawing fucking Mozart?”  
  
  A hot, jovial bubble of laughter boiled in Dan’s stomach, rising up and escaping in an uncontrollable burst of laughter. He rocked sideways, clutching his stomach as he leaned in, bumping his forehead on the other man’s shoulder as both of them wheezed out another laugh.   
  
  Arin, seemingly to fully realize what he’d just said, couldn’t help but find himself hopelessly failing to follow through with his statement without laughing.   
  
  “Arin,” Dan started to protest between laughs, “Mozart’s not---You know what? Fuck it. You’re absolutely right, dude. You were not, in fact, birthed from your mother’s womb, screaming and bloody, paintbrush in hand, painting a portrait of Classical Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.”  
  
  For another few moments passed as the two leaned on each other, weakly submitting to a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Slowly, however, their laughter died down, allowing them both the chance to catch their breath once more.    
  
  With one last chuckle, Arin opened the sketchbook, flipping through the pages in search of a fresh, blank page. Fascinated, Dan again leaned over Arin’s shoulder, looking down at the drawings within the book.  
  
  Between the pages, Dan caught brief glimpses of several anime and cartoon inspired characters. Among the various sketches, he could make out what appeared to be a group of mismatched stock anime characters, including a scantily clad pink haired girl and a guy with impossibly spiked hair. Another, was several sketches of what appeared to be Arin himself, or at least an idealized version of him, drawn in various different style. And yet another appeared to be some grotesque exaggerations of Mario, Sonic and Pikachu.   
  
  But, it was the most recent picture in the book that caught Dan’s attention the most. It was a fully colored portrait, drawn in a more realistic style than the other sketches, but still very distinctly seemed like Arin’s style.  
  
  The picture was of a singer, staring soulfully upward, one hand clutching the microphone close to his heart, while the other reached out toward the heavens, as if silently pleading to or beckoning some unseen force. Shining blue spandex, emblazoned with a white and red star symbol, adorned the man’s lithe body. A cape, azure as the ocean and trimmed with white fluff, fell down his body, loosely held together by a ribbon of crimson below his neck. Glittering blue eyeshadow highlighted his dark, lined eyes, giving him a seductive but innocent aura. Dark chocolate curls cascaded down his slender face, making him almost angelic in the spotlight.    
  
  “Hey,” Dan said, gently stopping Arin’s hand before he could turn the page, “Wait a second. Is that _me_?”  
  
  Arin blushed, his eyes darting nervously between Dan and the sketchbook, trying to read Dan’s expression. The larger man seemed almost scared, Dan noticed, shrinking back against the wall as if believed that the lanky man was going to lunge at him and rip his throat out like a wild lion feeding on the corpse of a gazelle. Yet, at the same time, a strange, faint glimmer of hopefulness glimmered behind his terrified eyes.  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Arin explained quickly, his blush deepening“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing I did last night. I remembered you saying that you wrote songs and everything. I just thought that you dressed as an 80s rockstar seemed to make sense, I guess.”  
  
  “It’s beautiful,” Dan smiled, “I love it!”  
  
  “Thanks,” Arin breathed a sigh of relief,“Um..I was going to show you how to draw, right?”  
  
  Dan nodded, mostly to himself as he re-positioned himself, as he watched Arin flip to a blank page, and starting to sketch a circle onto the page. Now that the tension had passed, Arin’s body seemed to relax, his hand confidently dragging the pencil across the page as if guided on muscle memory. As the other man continued to draw, he talked animatedly about his art process.   
  
  Arin talking about art reminded Dan of the passion that Yuri held when talking about writing. Listening to the way that Arin confidently shared his thoughts and philosophies on art and how he viewed himself as an artist, it was difficult for Dan not to become somewhat mesmerized.   
  
  “--The thing that keeps tripping most people up with art,” Arin explained, “Is that people get and idea in their head and they get too overwhelmed by trying to visualize the finished product all at once. It’s easier if you break things down into smaller pieces and simpler shapes, piecing them together until they get more confident trying more complicated stuff.”

  Again, Dan nodded in agreement, though he dared not blink or look away from the paper. He feared that a moment’s diversion would undo everything, leaving him utterly lost and frustratingly mystified once more.    
  
 “Oh,” Dan said, “So, it’s kind of like writing a song. You gotta kind of work on it in bits, and experiment with what words and notes work together, and hope for the best?”  
  
 “In a sense,” Arin said, “Yeah.”  
  
  Minutes felt hours as the two drifted seamlessly between topic to topic, whatever tension and awkwardness that existed between them had long since evaporated into an amiable comfort and camaraderie between the two. Without missing a beat, one of them would crack a joke, or discuss something, and the other would be quick to respond with laughter or comeback with their own joke and response.   
  
  It was only a matter of time, Dan thought, before he accidentally said something to ruin that.  
  
 “So,” he asked, “What made you want to transfer here?”  
  
  Cold silence weighted the air like a damp blanket, smothering the small candlelight of levity under it’s crushing weight. Arin’s body once more tensed, drawing in on himself defensively as a darkness clouded his brown eyes. A shadowy aura seeped from every corner of the rooftop, seemingly to physically shade everything it touched as it hovered above them like a poison cloud.   
  
  “I didn’t transfer here by choice,” Arin sighed, unconsciously gripping the edges of his sketchbook, “Or maybe I did, depending on how you look at it.”  
  
  “What happened?”  
  
  “It was an accident,” Arin said shakily, “ I should have used my goddamn brain for once, and not been a fucking idiot. Someone got hurt because of my stupid mistake. They didn’t deserve to be hurt because of me.”  
  
  The other man’s face paled to an almost deathly shade of white. Small tremors rocked the man’s broad, muscled frame, threatening to collapse in on himself, his breath uneven and rasping. His voice was almost eerily distant and small, wavering and cracking as he spoke, his conviction faltering under the weight of his memories.  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, “You transferred here because you wanted a fresh start?”  
  
  “Or,” Arin mumbled quietly under his breath,“I thought that this was the only way to make things right.”  
  
  Instinctively, Dan wrapped an arm around Arin’s broad shoulders, gently pulling him close. Absently, his long slender fingers stroked the edges of the other man’s ponytail, comfortingly. Arin sighed, tiredly nuzzling his head on Dan’s shoulder as he allowed himself to give into the comfort of Dan’s embrace.   
  
  Moments slipped by unnoticed in silence as Dan held Arin. It almost surprised him how readily and naturally he was able to offer comfort to the other man. After all, they’d barely even know each other for a day. And yet, part of him felt him that this was something Arin needed, even if it was just the tiniest gesture of solace. He needed someone to tell him that everything was going to be alright. That as time passed, his wounds would start to heal, even if scars were left behind in it’s wake.   
  
  “The real question is,” Dan said, grinning as he changed the subject once the two finally pulled apart, “Why’d you join the Literature Club? I mean, if what’s in your sketchbook is anything to go by, you’d have been killing it in Art Club?”  
  
  “Why’d you join?” Arin shot back, trading Dan’s playful grin with one of his own “I mean, the Music Club was right there. I bet you would have been fucking owning it there, huh?”  
  
  “You know,” Dan replied, making a face, “I was bribed by Sayori. Everyone knows that! It’s like the worst kept secret in the entire school. What’s your excuse?”  
  
  “Uh,”Arin said “If we’re being honest, here. Then, I kind of joined because of someone, too.”  
  
   Like a detective in an old mystery novel who’d just solved a big case and was revealing the culprit to all the gathered suspects in the room, Dan beamed proudly. Arin’s flustered and confused blush only served to further confirm his suspicions.

  “It was Natsuki,” Dan asked slyly, “Wasn’t it? C’mon man, I’ve seen the way you two act around each other. And, I’ve heard the way that she talks about you. You two totally have a crush on each other, don’t you?”  
  
  “W-what?!” Arin replied, shaking his head, “She....I mean, I---I don’t....I think she probably might like _you_ better, anyways.”  
  
  “Uh huh,” Dan nodded, unconvinced, “Sure she does. Whatever you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night, dude. But, I really doubt that she even likes me. Like, most of the time, I think she kind of acts like me being there is a huge problem.”  
  
  Arin bit his lip, his smile softening as he tried to think of the right words to describe the pink haired club member.  
  
  “Eh,” Arin shrugged, “I wouldn’t say that Natsuki hates you. She’s usually like that around people she’s not used to, you know? Like, she was even like that to me when I first joined. A lot of her attitude is really just sort of a test--like she’s gotta make sure that she can trust you before she’ll let you get to know the real her.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan sighed, “I guess. I mean, she did lend me one of her mangas, and we kind of talked a little earlier. But, I kind of think I just accidentally caught her when her guard was down. So, I dunno.”  
  
  “I think Yuri’s kind of the same way,” Arin added, “But, it’s kind of different? I dunno. Like, she’s kind of afraid of being judged that she’s closed herself off, and adopted this shy, demure persona to protect herself? But then again, I’d argue that hardly anyone in the club is exactly as they appear to be at first glance”  
  
  Dan shifted his position, sitting up a little straighter as he cocked his head just slightly to one side.   
  
 “How so?” he asked, quirking a curious eyebrow.  
  
 “Dan,” Arin asked, staring him cold in the eyes, “What do you remember about you and Sayori growing up? Is there anything that might have seemed, I dunno, off to you?”  
  
  Dan bit his lip, a troubled frown darkening his handsome features as he reflected on his childhood with Sayori. Although the memories were hazy as if he were trying to view them through smoke, he couldn’t recall anything that seemed unusual about her.  
  
  Sayori had been like she’d always been, right? Even if she was a bit ditzy and scatterbrained sometimes, she’d always been full of sunny optimism. She always tried to do her best to make sure everyone was smiling and having fun.   
  
  Sure, he’d argued, ever since starting high school, the two of them hadn’t been as close as they used to be when they were children. But at the same time, they’d always told each other everything. If there was something wrong, he thought, surely Sayori would have told him.   
  
  Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if she had told Arin something that she didn’t tell him. He knew it was selfish and conceited of him to think, but part of him also couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps Sayori’s feelings for him had changed. Could it be possible that she might have always had a crush on him for a long time, and that only recently it’d developed into something a little more real, and she was too shy to tell him?   
  
  Or was the change more toward a negative? Had something happened, he wondered, that caused her to cast doubt on their friendship, making her feel uncomfortable to talk to him about her problems? Had he said or done something wrong, without realizing it?

  Mentally, he made a note to try to be more open and receptive of her feelings, to remind her that they could still trust each other with their problems.  
  
  “Not really,” Dan replied finally, “We’ve know each other for years, now. So, A lot of stuff just kind of runs together. I mean, there was this one time that she almost burnt down her house while cooking ramen, because she forgot she was cooking it. But, that’s not really weird for her, so much as just being forgetful.”  
  
  Arin’s gaze softened, but the troubled frown failed to leave his face. Slowly, he stood up, stroking his beard pensively. Confused, Dan watched him silently as he, too, got to his feet once more. The larger man seemed no longer aware of Dan’s presence as he paced about, his body tense as if debating with a voice that only he was capable of hearing.   
  
  With a heavy sigh, Arin finally turned his attention back to the other man. The glare of the afternoon sun caught in his glasses, obscuring his eyes in an almost eerie glow. Involuntarily, a cold shiver coursed up Dan’s spine as he took a startled step back.   
  
  And yet, at the same time, the lanky man couldn’t help but find himself completely enthralled and intrigued by the other man. A small part of his subconscious scratched at him, urging him to listen closely to Arin’s words.  
  
  “Dan,” Arin said, “Listen, There’s something I---”  
  
  Before he could finish his sentence, a loud creak rang through the air. Like a brick being thrown through a glass window, the spell that was intricately woven over them was shattered as the two looked toward the source of the noise.  
  
  Sayori stood in the doorway. Her expression seemed confused, as if she wasn’t even entirely sure why she was there, or how she’d gotten there in the first place. However, her expression quickly brightened as she noticed the two men looking back at her.  
  
  “Sayori!” Dan asked sighing in relief, “What are you doing up here?!”  
  
  “Eheheh,” Sayori giggled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck, “Well, I waited for you outside the school yard, like I said I would. But, you weren’t there, and I was starting to get a little worried. Monika said that you two might be up here, so I decided to make sure everything was okay.”  
  
  The two men shared confused looks with one another. Arin shrugged, as if to say that, for once, he wasn’t really sure what to make of it either. Her story made sense to him, Dan thought, but there was something about the shaky uncertainty in her voice made him wonder that she had something else on her mind. He couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps she and Monika had been talking about more than just festival preparations.   
  
  “Ummm,” She asked timidly, “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”  
  
  Once more Dan looked between Sayori and Arin. Arin, on the other hand, seemed torn as two conflicting thoughts dueled each other for dominance. On one hand, Dan thought, he was sure that whatever the other man wanted to share with him was probably something both important and personal enough that he didn’t feel comfortable sharing it with anyone other than Dan. On the other, he knew how much Dan and her walking home together meant to her, and he would have felt terrible about making her wait even longer.  
  
  “Nah,” Arin sighed finally “It’s nothing. Besides, it’s getting kind of late. See you tomorrow, maybe?.”

  As Dan followed the peach-haired girl back inside, he paused, looking over his shoulder at Arin, as if silently waiting for the other man to move with them. However, Arin did not move, instead only his eyes followed two as they disappeared into the tiny shack.  
  
  “Hey, Arin” Dan asked “Are you coming?”  
  
  “You guys go on ahead” Arin replied, causally brushing some dirt off of his jacket “I’ll catch up later.”  
  
  Dan shrugged as he slowly continued following Sayori. Without thinking, he pulled his jacket closer around his slender body, feeling cold with each step he took deeper into the dark maintenance closet. Reluctantly, he paused at the foot of the steps, giving one last knowing look to his fellow club mate, silently assuring him that there would be another chance for them to talk privately soon.

* * *

  The next day, Dan found himself once again seated in the club room. From what he could tell, only he, Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki were there. Sayori, it seemed was very focused on searching through her coin purse, like an explorer searching for lost treasure. Yuri, as per usual was blissfully and hopelessly lost in the fantasy world between the pages of her novel.    
  
  That, he noted, left him currently in a discussion with Natsuki over the _Parfait Girls_ manga that she had lent him. Surprisingly, despite it’s rather thick size, he’d found the manga to be a considerably quick and easy to follow read.   
  
  The plot, as far as he could tell, was pretty simple: Four high school friends with wildly different personalities that still managed to somehow fit into the character archetypes and tropes that were standard for the genre, were all secretly in love with the same guy, and were unknowingly competing with each other for his love.   
  
  Initially, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue reading it after the first couple of chapters. Scenes seemed to drift aimlessly from cute moment to cute moment without much appearing to tie it to the overall narrative. However, a few chapters in, when they started diving deeper into the character’s back-stories and tying them into the overall plot, some of the random scenes started to make more sense.  
  
  He could also start to see why one of the girls, Minori, was Natsuki’s favorite. Much like the pink haired girl he knew, Minori seemed to be a brash, outgoing girl with hidden softer side. And, much like Natsuki, she had a deep love for baking sweets for all of her friends.   
  
  Minori, it also seemed, had a very difficult home life, growing up in a very strict, single-parent household. He wondered if Natsuki, like her, felt being in at school and around her friends was one of the few times she could let her guard down and be herself. And yet, she felt like, compared to her more sophisticated classmates, she was somehow inadequate. She felt as if the boy she liked only payed attention to her out of some sort of cruel joke, rather than any sort of genuine interest in her.    
  
  And, as much as Minori tried to get closer to her crush, it would seem like bad luck would befall her and things would backfire in a wacky, comedic fashion.  
  
  As Dan listened to Natsuki ramble on excitedly about the various details of the story, he couldn’t help but find himself thinking that maybe the part of the reason that she adored this manga so much was that it was an idealized version of what she secretly wanted her life to be like. A fun little idyllic slice of life where things happened, but they were little more than minor inconveniences and things always worked out in the end.  
  
  Dan looked over as he and Natsuki finished their discussion. In the midst of their conversation, Sayori had managed to slip in beside him like a ninja. Her blue eyes sparkled with a subtle devilish glimmer as a shy smile painted her petal-pink lips.   
  
  Once again, Dan tensed up, bracing himself for the worst as he felt something sink in the pit of his stomach. He recognized that faux-innocent smirk far too well; it was the same one that she’d used to trick him into visiting the Literature Club in the first place. They both used to joke that she’d learned to weaponize that smile, knowing full well that he was weak against it.  
  
 “Hey, Danny!” she chirped in a suspiciously cheerful voice.  
  
 “Hey, Sayori!” he replied, mimicking her sing-song tone, “Looks like you’re in a good mood today. What’s up?  
  
 “Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied, knitting her fingers together, “I’m just really glad that you’re in the club and everything.”  
  
  Dan nodded, doing his best to not let the short-haired girl know that he was onto her scheme. In a way he did actually sort of shared that feeling. Sure, between being bribed and guilted, he hadn’t really had much of a choice when it came to joining. But all the same, he admitted, he was actually enjoying himself a lot more than he thought he would in this club.  
  
  Besides, he added, him being there made Sayori happy. And, if he could bring a little bit of joy into the lives of his friends, then he definitely considered his decision worth it.   
  
  Still, a nagging itch of self-doubt and anxiety prickled against the back of his neck, giving him goosebumps. He worried that, with as well as things were going, it was only a matter of time before something went wrong and everything came falling down like a house of cards.   
  
  That wasn’t true, he scolded himself, just because things were going too well, it didn’t always mean that things were guaranteed to go bad. That was just his own anxiety and far too many hours spent reading novels and playing video games that played heavily on irony and foreshadowing to get an effect.  
  
  Dear god, he thought to himself with a laugh, He was starting to sound like Yuri.   
  
  “So anyways,” Sayori giggled, “I’m kind of hungry. Will you come with me to buy a snack?”  
  
  And there it was, Dan smirked. He bit his lip, pretending to think about the question for a moment. If Sayori had just wanted to take a walk with him, or wanted her to buy him a snack, he thought, she could have just asked. It wasn’t necessary for her to go about trying to be sneaky about it.   
  
  The nagging feeling returned as he thought back to his conversation with Arin the previous day. Once more he wondered if perhaps her indirectness was yet another symptom of the shifting feelings she felt toward him. Maybe she felt too embarrassed to be upfront about her true intentions, as innocent as they might have been.  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan asked slyly, “You didn’t happen to spend all your snack money, and are trying to trick me into buying something for you, are you?”  
  
  The petite girl yelped, mildly taken aback, realizing that she was about to be caught. Flustered, she shook her head, waving her arms vigorously. She was like a mouse caught in a trap, desperately struggling in an futile attempt not to look guilty.   
  
  “Eh?!” she gasped, “No fair! How’d you even know?!”

  Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but chuckle at Sayori’s over exaggerated gesturing. Smugly, he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head as he watched her through one open eye.  
  
  “Well,” he explained, “If you had money to spend on snacks, you would have bought something from the vending machine before you came to the club room. So, I figured that you’re either not hungry, and wanted an excuse to take a walk. Or you conveniently forgot that you’d spent all your money, and that I would lend you some.”  
  
  Sayori stared at him, wide eyed and mystified, her mouth moving silently like a goldfish gasping for air. The rouge blush that painted her cheeks darkened to a dusty rose as she covered her heated cheeks with her hands.  
  
  “But,” Dan added, “There’s one more thing,”  
  
  “Eh?” she asked, “And what’s that?”  
  
  “You’re always hungry,” Dan joked, “So I figured that that had to be the only option.”  
  
  Sayori’s eyes squeezed tightly shut, tears forming int he corners of her eyes as she whined. Dan’s expression softened as he felt a small pang of guilt in his heart. He hadn’t meant to put her on the spot like that or to make her cry, he thought. But then again, it was usually like this, he reminded himself. Still, he thought, part of him could tell that she wasn’t nearly as upset as she made herself out to be.   
  
  He’d seen her truly upset before, even it wasn’t that often. When she was truly upset,he reminded himself, she was almost scarily quiet, seeming to shut herself off from everyone for hours at a time. It was almost unsettling, he thought, like watching a cold wind blow out a room full of candles with a single breeze.  
  
  “Ah,” Sayori whined, stamping her foot, “No fair! Don’t make me feel guilty!”  
  
  “Hey,” Dan replied defensively, “I’m not trying to make you feel guilty. I was just guessing.”  
  
  A soft, melodic laugh echoed from beside them, reminding the other currently present club members that Yuri was, in fact, still there. Although she did not look up from her book, an amused smile played across her lips.   
  
  “Oh,” she mumbled, “I--I wasn’t listening in. It was just something in my book....”  
  
  However, Sayori didn’t seem to be listening to Dan as she now turned her attention toward Yuri. She looked pleadingly at the dark-haired girl, as if she was certain that she would provide some sort of support from the quiet bookworm.  
  
  “Yuri,” she continued, “Please tell Danny that him lending me money wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”  
  
  Yuri raised her head from her book, arching an eyebrow in the direction of the other girl. Her violet eyes darted frantically between Dan, Sayori and the book on her desk, as if she were looking for the fastest way to avoid being part of this conversation and go back to loosing herself in the pages of her book yet again.  
  
  “That’s---” she mumbled, “Please, don’t involve me in this, Sayori.”

  She sighed, blinking slowly as she returned her gaze back to the pages of her book. Elegantly, she flipped back a lock of her long, dark hair with a delicate, graceful hand.  
  
  “Besides,” she added, in a matter-of-fact tone, “You should only buy what you can reasonably afford. And frankly, after the mischievous little stunt you pulled, your suffering is fair enough retribution.”  
  
  All three present members of the club gaped at Yuri in disbelief, as if she had just sprouted wings and took off flying around the classroom. Dan let out a low, mildly impressed whistle under his breath. He wasn’t sure how to feel about this. On one hand, he’d never heard Yuri speak this frankly about something that wasn’t literature. On the other, what she said seemed just a touch harsher than what was warranted for what had been only a minor infraction.   
  
  Yuri, too seemed to realize the coldness of her words, as she looked up once more from her book, gently touching her throat with her fingertips, as if she couldn’t believe that those words had actually been spoken by her.  
  
  “Did I just---?” she apologized, “I’m very sorry. I got too absorbed in my book--”  
  
  However, Sayori seem unfazed by Yuri’s bluntness. In fact, it seemed like quite the opposite had happened. The blue-eyed girl laughed merrily, as a proud, impressed smile appeared in place of a distressed frown. Her laugh was like a refreshing blast of cool water in the midst of a steaming hot bath. Instantly, the mood shifted, feeling much more lighter and upbeat than it had moments ago.  
  
  “It’s alright,” Sayori replied, “I really like it when you say what’s on your mind! It’s a really fun side of you that we don’t get to see a whole lot.”  
  
  Yuri’s eyes seemed to almost disappear into her bangs as she curled in on herself, self-consciously wrapping her arms around her chest.   
  
  “There’s,” she mumbled, mostly to herself“There’s no way that you really think that.”  
  
  “You were right, though,” Sayori continued, “I did something bad, and now I have to accept the revolution.”  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan began, “That’s not---”  
  
  “--- _Retribution_ ,” Yuri interrupted, correcting her before he could.  
  
  “Hey,” Sayori smiled, her face brightening, “That’s a good one, too!”  
  
  Having given up on trying to read, Yuri gracefully closed her book, and looked up at Sayori with a soft, but amused smile. The purple haired girl might have preferred the world of books over the world of people, Dan observed, but it seemed like she wasn’t as completely removed from the world around her as she’d like to believe.  
  
 “Still,” Yuri replied, “A stunt like that coming from you, Sayori? I guess that there’s a little devil inside all of us, isn’t there?”  
  
  Sayori giggled. Yuri’s words were like tennis balls bouncing harmlessly off a dense brick wall of pure positive energy.  Still Dan sighed, exasperatedly rubbing his forehead with one hand.   
  
 What was with this talk about retribution, anyways? He wondered. Trying to trick him was definitely a dirty move, but hardly one that warranted much more than a gentle scolding. Yet, the way she seemed to be talking about it, one would think that she had dragged him out to the vending machines and attempted to kill him.  
  
 “Don’t let her fool you,” Dan winked, flashing a sly grin, “Sayori knows exactly what she’s doing. I mean, she told you guys that she was bringing me to the club before she even told me about it.”  
  
 “B-But!” Sayori protested, “You never would have come here if it weren’t for the cupcakes! So, I had to trick Natsuki into making them!”  
  
 “Come on,” Dan laughed, “You gotta give me a little more credit that that, Sayori!”  
  
 Sayori started to laugh again, but was quickly cut off as a round object zipped past Dan’s head, hitting Sayori in the face as it tumbled harmlessly onto the desk. Sayori blinked, momentarily disoriented as she tried to make sense of what just happened.   
  
 Like a child discovering snow on Christmas morning, Sayori’s eyes lit up as she noticed the large, plastic wrapped cookie that sat on her desk.    
  
 “Eh?” she asked picking up the dessert examining it, “Is this a miracle?!”  
  
“That’s a cookie,” Dan deadpanned flatly.   
  
 “It’s because,” Sayori gasped excitedly, “I paid my restitution!”  
  
 “ _Retribution_ ,” he corrected her.  
  
  “Actually,” Yuri replied, “That one could work, too.”  
  
  From nearby, a snort of amused laughter echoed, drawing the attention of the other three club members back to Natsuki, who had previously remained silent at this point. The pink haired girl sat, her hands in her hips, trying her hardest to keep herself from rolling out of her chair with laughter.  
  
  “I was just gonna give it to you later,” she said between laughs, “But then you went and confessed that you tricked me into making cupcakes. But, hey--seeing the look on you’re face was totally worth it!”  
  
  “Natsuki!” Sayori exclaimed, hugging the cookie close to her chest, “That’s so nice of you! Thanks!”  
  
  “Yeah, yeah,” Natsuki replied dismissively, rolling her eyes and making a face, “Whatever. No need to get all emotional on me. Just eat it, already. Geez.”  
  
  Quickly, Sayori tore the plastic wrapper off of the cookie and took a large bite out of it. She was almost unable to speak as she happily chewed on the chunk of cookie. Though, judging by the happy moans and squeaks she between bites probably wouldn’t have been necessary, anyways.  
  
  Pleased with Sayori’s reaction, Natsuki carefully withdrew her own cookie from her backpack and tore off a bite. Sayori, noticing the other pink haired girl eating a cookie, looked curiously a Natsuki. Dan could practically see the gears in her head already turning as she began to formulate yet another devious scheme in her head.  
  
 “You’re cookie looks really good too,” she said, enviously, “Can I try it?”  
  
  Natsuki glared and wrinkled her nose, taking another slow, deliberate bite out of her cookie, to emphasize that she wasn’t planning on sharing this cookie with anyone else.  
  
 “Beggars can’t be choosers,” she snapped, “Besides, I just gave you a cookie!”  
  
 “Yeah,” Sayori whined, “But yours is chocolate!”

  
 “Yeah so?” Natsuki replied, “Why do you I think I gave you that one?”  
  
  “Okay, fine,” the short-haired girl sighed, “Still, I’m glad you decided to share this one with me!”  
  
  Innocently, Sayori slid behind Natsuki, humming to herself as she approached her. Had Dan not been somewhat amused by this entire scene, he would have warned Natsuki to start running, that Sayori clearly had a plan up her sleeve. But, he found himself grinning silently as he watched the short-haired girl wrap her arms around the petite club member in what appeared to be a hug.  
  
  Natsuki grumbled, somewhat reluctant to accept the simple gesture of kindness, but slowly starting to warm up to it as Sayori leaned in closer, her head resting comfortably on Natsuki’s shoulder. The pink haired girl squirmed, trying to break the hold the other girl had her in.   
  
  “Okay, okay!” she said, “I get it! I get it!”  
  
  With the cookie still in hand, Natsuki rose her hand, attempting to wrench Sayori’s face from it’s spot on her shoulder. Too late did she realize her fatal mistake, as the other girl leaned in, snagging a decent sized chunk from Natsuki’s cookie. Satisfied with her successful plan, Sayori happily skipped off toward a safe spot in the room, before the stunned Natsuki could recover.   
  
    “H-hey!” Natsuki called after her, over the sound of Dan and Yuri’s laughter, “Did you seriously just do that?!”  
  
    From across the room, Sayori nodded proudly, her mouth still full of chocolate cookie.   
  
    “Geez!” Natsuki sighed, “You’re such a kid sometimes! Monika, can you tell Sayori that it’s rude to---?”  
  
   The pink haired girl let her sentence hang in the air unfinished, blinking in confusion as she took a quick mental headcount of everyone present in the room. For the first time since they’d entered the club room, they noticed that both Monika and Arin were suspiciously absent.  

  “That’s a good question,” Yuri replied, “Has anyone heard anything about whether she’d be late today or not?”  
  
  “Not me.” Sayori said.  
  
  Dan shook his head. He would have thought that the Club President would have been the first person to show up to the meetings. But, outside of the clubroom, Dan hadn’t even seen or talked to Monika at all. And he didn’t really know many of her friends outside of the club. So, if she was going to be late or absent from the meeting, he would probably have been the last to know.  
  
  
  “Don’t look at me,” Dan said, “ I haven’t heard anything. And, Arin hasn’t shown up, either....”  
  
 But, he thought, this was a considerably less troubling than Monika’s unusual tardiness. After all, he remembered their first meeting in the club. Arin had been late then, too, he noted. And, Monika had addressed his lateness as if it were a more of a regular occurrence than anything else.  
  
  Still, he couldn’t help but feel a small inkling of concern that something had happened to both of them that was keeping them from arriving.   
  
  “Yeah,” Natsuki replied “But Arin’s like always late. So, like I’m not really that worried about that. He’ll probably show up in a few minutes”  
  
  “It is a bit unusual,” Yuri added quietly, her eyebrows knitted into a pensive glare, “It’s not usually like Monika to be late like this.”  
  
  “I hope she’s okay,” Sayori added, worriedly glancing at the door.   
  
  “Of course she’s okay,” Natsuki reassured her with a smirk, “She probably just had something to do to day and lost track of time or something. I mean, she’s pretty popular and everything.”  
  
  Sayori’s eyes widened as she covered her mouth, holding back a surprised gasp, as a sudden realization washed over her like a crashing tidal wave.   
  
  “You don’t think,” she asked, “That she had a boyfriend, does she?”  
  
  “Hmmm,” Yuri replied, pensively, “It is possible. She does certainly seem to be more desirable than us combined.”  
  
  “Eheheh,” Sayori giggled, “That’s true.”  
  
  Dan frowned, silently disagreeing with her. Something about the way that Yuri and the others were so readily willing to talk down about themselves in comparison to Monika irked him. While it was true that he, and a lot of his fellow classmates, found The Literature Club President to be stunningly gorgeous and talented, that didn’t mean that he believed any of the other girls were unattractive.   
  
  In fact, he believed in quite the opposite. Sayori, Yuri, and Natsuki---each of them had their own unique style of beauty that set them apart from each other. There wasn’t a right way to be ‘beautiful, he sincerely believed, as long as that beauty came from the inside as well. To him, it didn’t matter if someone was the hottest fucking person on the planet, if they were genuinely a terrible person, he had a hard time considering them actually beautiful.  
  
  Thankfully, it seemed that Natsuki shared a similar opinion. She glared at the two girls incredulously, as if she couldn’t believe that either of them would be as cold as to indirectly insult her along with them.  
  
  “Excuse me?!” Natsuki asked defensively.  
  
  “C’mon now,” Dan added, “You shouldn’t put yourselves down like that! That’s not cool, you guys.”  
  
  The three girls blushed, looking sheepish as they avoided looking at one another, each fidgeting nervously with a piece of their uniforms. Yuri’s violet eyes lowered, lost in thought once more as she delicately stroked her chin. It was as if she was looking at a puzzle, carefully holding each piece up and examining it before she placed it down where she believed it fit.  
  
  “Still, I have to wonder,” she said, “If Monika does have a boyfriend, that Arin might possibly be said boyfriend?”  
  
  The three other club members looked at her, skeptically. Dan’s brow furrowed as he bit his lip. He felt like he too was looking at Yuri’s imaginary puzzle, only he was unable to make out the full picture because of the wide gaps of missing pieces. Monika and Arin were like two opposing forces of nature. Though neither one necessarily ‘good’ or ‘evil’ and each powerful in their own right, they somehow managed to exist alongside one another in a semblance of harmony for the sake of keeping the world from descending into total chaos.   
  
   But, he felt like that was maybe too much of an over exaggeration and romanticizing of the situation.  
  
  “Hmm,” Sayori said, “I dunno. I never thought that Monika would go for a bad boy type like Arin.”  
  
  “What makes you say that?” Dan asked.  
  
  Although he didn’t really know the other male member of the Literature Club, what little he’d seen of Arin didn’t necessarily stand out as anything fitting the bad boy persona. But then again, he thought about their talk yesterday, he wondered if perhaps Arin had told Sayori more about his mysterious, troubled past than he’d had a chance to tell him.  
  
  “Mysterious transfer student, who doesn’t really tell anyone about his past, ” Natsuki replied for Sayori, shrugging “What else do you think he’d be?”  
  
  “Maybe,” Dan said, doubtfully, “But still, I really don’t see him and Monika together. I mean, granted, I don’t really know them. But they don’t really seem like they’re really all that into each other.”  
  
  “It would appear that way,” Yuri explained, “But, it is a common plot in some literature where two people who initially appear to dislike each other eventually fall in love with one another. And, often in these types of stories, the two will pretend that they still dislike one another while in public, to keep others from finding out about their secret. However, there is always a scene later in the story where their secret affair is revealed. It’s a particularly common trait in romantic comedies.”  
  
  Realizing what she had said, she blushed, burying her face in her hands.  
  
  “N-not that I read those types of stories,” Yuri added quickly.  
  
  Natsuki and Sayori giggled. However, their laughter was cut short as suddenly the door swung open. Almost on cue, Monika rushed through the doorway, her arms clutching a few notebooks and a small stack of papers to her chest. A few steps behind her, to everyone’s surprise, Arin dashed into the classroom, his face lightly flushed and slightly sweaty as if he’d ran halfway across the school in a panic, as he withdrew a large bottle of water from his backpack.  
  
  “I’m so sorry I’m late!” Monika apologized as she sat her belongings down on her desk, “I didn’t mean to be! I hope you guys weren’t worried or anything.”  
  
  The other four club members shared surprised, but secretly suspicious glances with one another. Arin and Monika had shown up late to the club room at the same time? And both of them looked somewhat out of breath, even if Monika had tried to make herself look as composed as normal? They were starting to feel that there was some some credence to Yuri’s theory about them after all.  
  
  “Ah,” Sayori winked, “So you chose your boyfriend over the club after all? You’re so strong willed!”  
  
  Monika’s eyebrow quirked in confusion, as if Sayori was speaking another language that she was only partially fluent in. Quizzically, she glanced over at Dan, silently asking him for some context to this conversation. Dan merely shrugged, unsure of how exactly to explain things to her.  
  
  “B-Boyfriend?!” She asked, “What on earth are you talking about?!”  
  
  “Y’know,” Sayori said, nodding in Arin’s direction, “Your _boyfriend_ , Arin.”  
  
  Both Arin and Monika’s eyes widened in shock. Monika’s mouth hung slightly agape, and Arin coughed, nearly spitting the water he’d been drinking everywhere as he looked wildly between all the club members.  
  
  “Whoa, hang on,” he asked, “Are you trying to tell me that you think me and Monika were late for the meeting because we were making out or something?”  
  
 “You’re trying to tell me,” Natsuki asked, grinning “That that wasn’t what you were doing?!”  
  
  “Look,” Arin replied, “We’re not dating. I mean, I think Monika’s cute and everything, and she’s a pretty cool person. But, we’re just friends.”  
  
  Natsuki and Sayori exchanged a look with one another, still somewhat unconvinced by Arin’s denial. Arin shot a pleading look to Dan, begging him to step in and at least try to steer this discussion in a different direction.   
  
  “So yeah, enough about that,” Dan cleared his throat, “What held you two up, anyways?”  
  
  “I kind of had a few questions about yesterday’s science homework,” Arin explained, “So, I thought I’d try to ask my teacher about it before I came here. It kind of ended up taking a lot longer for him to explain it than I thought it would.”  
  
“As for me,” Monika said, “Well, my last period today was study hall. To be honest, I kind of lost track of time.”  
  
  Natsuki seemed unconvinced. The petite pink haired girl pursed her lips, her eyebrows furrowed as she rested a hand on her hip. Although brief, Dan swore he caught a twitch of panic behind Monika’s calm smile.   
  
  “Ahahahaha” Monika laughed, “I guess I must not have heard it, since I was practicing piano.”  
  
  That was odd, Dan thought. He didn’t know that Monika played piano, or even really had an interest in music at all. Not only that, he wondered, hadn’t she just said that she had been in study hall? Usually music practice was held in the music room, or in the auditorium, where as study hall was usually in either the library or one of the classrooms. But then again, he wasn’t sure if her study hall teacher was less strict about students staying in the class, or if she’d gotten permission to go practice piano beforehand.  
  
  Either explanation made sense, he shrugged.   
  
  “Piano?” Yuri asked curiously, “I wasn’t aware you played music as well, Monika.”  
  
  “Ah,” Monika replied, “I don’t really. I just started recently. I’ve always wanted to learn piano.”  
  
  “That’s so cool!” Sayori exclaimed, “You and Danny should do a duet, sometime! You could play piano and he could sing.”  
  
  Dan felt his face grow hot as Monika’s gaze focused on him. She eyed him with the same interest that one took when analyzing an interesting piece of art. Involuntarily, he felt himself bashfully shrink in on himself, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he stared down at the floor. But, why did he feel so embarrassed, he wondered. Didn’t Monika already know that about him? He was sure that either he, or someone, had probably mentioned it before.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika replied, “Maybe once I get a little better, we could.”  
  
  Sayori cheered as Dan sighed. Yet again his friend didn’t seem to realize exactly what kind of situation she’d carelessly volunteered him for. It wasn’t like he’d necessarily minded the idea of performing with Monika, but at the same time, he kind of wished Sayori given it a second thought before speaking. Or at the very least, let him be the one to suggest it.   
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “That’d be cool. I’m looking forward to it.”  
  
  “Is that so?” Monika replied brightly, “In that case, I won’t let you down, Danny.”  
  
  “Maybe you and Monika,” Sayori suggested, “Could start a band together after graduation!”  
  
  From the desk beside him, Dan heard Arin stifle a snorting chuckle, bringing him back to reality before Monika’s eerily piercing friendliness could unnerve him once more. Arin’s laugh, he noted, did not seem mocking; as if he thought the idea of Dan and Monika performing a song together was something absurd or impossible. But rather, it seemed like an idea had came to his mind that he thought was too amusing to share.  
  
  “Heheheheh,” Dan laughed weakly, “Maybe let’s not get too ahead of ourselves there. I don’t want to put any pressure on Monika or anything.”  
  
  “Right,” Monika agreed, “But, I have been practicing a lot recently. So, I’d really love the chance to share once I’m ready.”  
  
  “In that case,” Dan replied, “Best of luck to you.”  
  
  “Thanks!” Monika replied, flashing a smile, “Anyways, I didn’t miss much, did I?”  
  
  “Not really,” Dan replied, “Just some usual stuff..”  
  
  He shook his head. Although he felt like he should have told Arin and Monika about the mischievous, albeit humorous, stunt that Sayori had pulled, he decided against it. Sayori had been lectured enough by her fellow club members about it, and probably felt somewhat bad about it already. She didn’t need anyone else getting on her case about it right now. Besides, he thought, Natsuki would probably complain one, or both, of them later, anyways.  
  
  But, he added, it looked like everyone had settled in, anyways. Although he fully expected them to dive right into their poetry sharing session immediately, given how late two of their club members had been, he noticed that this was not the case. Sayori, he noticed, had finished her cookie, and Yuri had gone back to reading, while Natsuki had taken back her manga and retreated into the closet to return it to it’s rightful place among the rest of her collection.

  He glanced over at Yuri. Part of him was curious to find out what she was reading, but another part of him felt reluctant to distract her from her book, especially since everyone had already distracted her earlier. Quickly, decided against it as he sat down, flipping open his notebook and idly writing stuff down.  
  
  It wasn’t look though, before he felt the hairs on the back of his neck start to prickle uncomfortably. Was someone watching him, he wondered? He looked up, noticing a pair of purple eyes looking curiously up at him from behind a book. Yuri blinked, looking as if she wanted to say something to him, but was unable to find the right words.  
  
 “Hey Yuri,” Dan replied with a smile, “What’s up?”  
  
  Yuri blushed, burying her face deeper into her book. She seemed unsure if it was truly okay for her to approach D  
  
  “Oh,” Yuri replied timidly, “It’s just....well, I wanted to give you this.”  
  
  Hastily, she shoved a small,hardcover book into his hands. The book, he noticed, was made up to mimic the appearance of an antique leather bound book, trimmed in faded gold. Thin, Gothic letters displayed the title _Portrait of Markov_ on the cover. Beneath it, an elegant but unsettling, symbol of an eye graced the cover, looking partially faded and scratched.  
  
  He noticed that this book looked identical to the one that was currently on Yuri’s desk. Why had she picked up two copies of the same book for herself, he wondered. It really seemed like kind of an unnecessary thing to do.  
  
  “I hope you don’t think this was too forward of me,” Yuri explained, “But, I noticed that Natsuki had shared her manga with you, so I thought that I might share this with you? Ah, I just meant that, well, I mean, I found this particular novel to be really interesting, and I thought that you might find it an interesting as well. Especially if you’re looking to get more deeply into the horror genre. It’s a very quick, but engaging and relatable read, so it should be able to hold your interest, even if your not used to reading these types of stories. ”  
  
  “Thanks,” Dan replied, “But why do you have two copies?”  
  
  “Ahh,” Yuri blushed, averting her gaze, “Well, when I purchased it, it was on sale. And, I figured that it would be a good idea to purchase two copies, in case the first one got lost or damaged. Or if someone wanted to borrow it while I was still in the middle of re-reading it.”  
  
  He felt like there was likely more behind her reason than what she had said. But, he figured that putting her on the spot and running the risk of making her feel any more uncomfortable with the discussion than she already felt wasn’t a good idea. After all, if she had really bought it with the intention of lending it to him, then it would have just been rude to call her out on it.  
  
“That makes sense,” Dan nodded, “So, what’s it about, anyways?”  
  
  At this, Yuri’s eyes sparkled, and once more the timidness fled from her demeanor like water from a shower drain. She was once more in ‘Professor Yuri Mode’, as Dan had labeled it. Clearly, whatever this book was about, she was definitely passionate about it. For a moment, she said nothing as she quickly read over the blurb on the back cover.  
  
  “Well,” she began, “It’s kind of hard to discuss without accidentally giving away too much. But, basically, it’s about this girl in high school that moves in with her long lost younger sister. But, her life starts to get really strange. She gets targeted by these people who escaped from some human experiment lab, who put her and the lives of those close to her in danger. She desperately needs to know who she can trust, but no matter what she does, she ends up destroying her relationships with the people she cares about, and her life falls apart.”  
  
  Dan paled, left in cold, stunned silence as he listened to Yuri calmly describe the book. He knew that it was a horror book, but the plot seemed surprisingly heavy and depressing than he’d been prepared for. Yuri had believed that he would like this story, however, so he figured it must not have been as bleak as she made it out to be.   
  
  He’d forgotten that Yuri was into those types of stories, to be honest. Much like Yuri’d description of the metaphorical and literal from the previous day’s poetry session, there seemed to be two different sides of Yuri that simultaneously managed to exist.  
  
  “Wow,” Dan replied with a low whistle “That’s kind of dark.”  
  
  Yuri gently laughed, startling Dan. She looked at him warmly, almost with the same fondness as a person watching a cute puppy or kitten doing something adorable, as she rested her hand on her chest. Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but admit that Yuri had a rather cute laugh.   
  
  “Are you,” she asked, “Not a fan of those types of stories, Danny?”  
  
  “Ah no,” Dan replied quickly, “It’s not that. It’s just that you made it sound like it was a lighter story. Like, I wasn’t expecting some _Clifford the Big Red Dog_ type of lightheartedness, but that dark turn really came out of nowhere. I mean, I could definitely enjoy those types of stories no problem, though. So, don’t worry about that.”  
  
  “Ah,” Yuri smiled again, “I hope so. It’s just that, those types of stories, they really challenge you to look at life from a strange new perspective. Sometimes horrible things happen, not just because someone wants to be evil, but because they have their own goals and philosophies. And, just when you think you relate to the protagonist, they turn out to be the naive one, for letting their one-sided goals interfere, or even play into, the villain’s plans.”  
  
  She paused, the timid shyness rushing back into her as she caught herself doing, what she felt, was rambling pointlessly to someone who was probably disinterested.  
  
  “I’m rambling, aren’t I?” She apologized softly, “I’m very sorry. I--I do that too much, don’t I?”  
  
  “Hey,” Dan said, “Don’t apologize. It’s good that your passionate about something. I mean, it’s a hell of a lot more interesting to talk to someone who cares about what they’re talking about than someone who doesn’t have any interest in anything at all.”  
  
  “Oh,” Yuri replied, nervously, “I guess that it isn’t a problem then. It’s just that sometimes I have this problem. I tend to let things like books and writing fill my thoughts, and I kind of forget to pay attention to other people. So, I apologize if I end up saying something strange.”  
  
  “I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Dan replied, “The least I could do is listen. I might not get everything you’re talking about, I’m pretty sure I can pick up on things kind of quickly.”  
  
  Yuri looked apprehensive as she let a silence build between them. Her fingers shook slightly, again absently tugging at the cuffs of her jacket. Again, she looked as if she had something to say, but was terrified of how he might react to it.  
  
  “Um, actually,” She continued, “I’ve been in the process of re-reading it. So, if you’d like, we could read it together, maybe?”  
  
  “Sure,” Dan replied, “It couldn’t hurt to have someone who’s already read through it before there to help me understand what’s going on.”  
  
  Yuri, seemingly taken aback by Dan’s unexpected agreement, stood with her jaw slightly slack as she fought to regain her lost composure. A high pitched whistling rang through the air, drawing Yuri’s attention.  
  
  “Ah!” she gasped, “I forgot about the tea!”  
  
  Hurriedly, she rushed off to silence the screaming tea kettle angrily spilling hot steam from it’s spout. Well, Dan sighed as he started to sit down again, so much for that conversation. Surely, Yuri felt too afraid and embarrassed about having even suggested the two of them reading together that she would have taken that opportunity to politely exit from the discussion.   
  
  However, that did not seem to be the case as she quickly returned, bearing two steaming cups of tea. Quietly, she handed Dan one of the teacups as she kept the other for herself.  
  
 “I thought that we might enjoy some oolong tea,” Yuri explained, “While we’re reading.”  
  
  Dan thanked her for the tea, as he took a cautious sip, careful not to burn his mouth on the steaming liquid. Yet again, Yuri seemed to hover nervously, wanting to ask something, but unable to formulate the right sounds.  
  
  “Ahh....” she said, “There’s just one request that I’d like to make.”  
  
  “Sure,” Dan said, “What is it?”  
  
  “Could we,” Yuri said, “Perhaps sit on the floor while we read?”  
  
  “Eh?” Dan quirked an eyebrow, “Why’s that? I mean, the desks are alright.”  
  
  “Ummm,” Yuri explained, her voice a low mumble, “Well....it’s easier on my back. It’s easier to read with my back against a wall, rather than having to bend over at my desk.”  
  
  “Oh,” Dan said, “Okay. I didn’t realize that. My bad.”  
  
  “It’s fine,” Yuri replied, “It’s just that I have back problems sometimes, and I try to do what I can to manage it.”  
  
  Dan nodded, feeling a pang of sympathy for his fellow club member. He knew what it was like to deal with back pain, he admitted. Ever since he hit his growth spurt in middle school, he’d had days where he’d felt uncomfortable aching in his lower back that made him want to do little else than lay motionless in his bed for hours at a time. But then again, he thought, considering he’d practically grown two whole feet in the span of a year, it was little wonder to him that his back had been messed up.    
  
  It was actually almost amusing, he thought, on a side note, that there was a time when Sayori had been the taller one of the pair. Still he thought, accidentally catching his eyes wandering toward Yuri’s ample chest, he doubted that her back problems were caused by the exact same thing that his were.   
  
  He noticed Yuri blush once more, having seemingly noticed that he had glanced at her chest, and was making an implication as to why she had back issues. Damn it, Dan thought to himself, looking back up at her face, he didn’t want to seem like he was trying to be a pervert.  
  
  “Ah,” Dan replied “I see. It’s because of your posture, isn’t it?”  
  
  “Y-yes,” Yuri replied quickly, “That’s it! I have terrible reading posture!”  
  
  “You know,” Dan offered helpfully, “They make certain types of shoes and like insoles and stuff that  help with fixing back problems. You might want to give them a try.”  
  
  “Really?” Yuri asked, as she and Dan started to walk toward the wall to sit down.  
  
  “Oh yeah,” Dan nodded sagely, “I used to have back problems all the time, too. But, like they really helped out a lot with that. I mean, they’re not always the best looking shoes out there. But trust me, they fucking work miracles.”  
  
  Yuri nodded, her entire being focused on setting her teacup an appropriate amount of space away from them that she wouldn’t accidentally knock it over when sitting down. Dan decided not to press further in the discussion about their back problems. Not that there was much else to say, he thought.   
  
  Carefully the two of them had set down next to each other. Dan wasn’t entirely sure how this was going to work, he thought as he opened the book. Quietly, he started reading, his mind trying to focus on the words on the page, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Yuri was watching him again. As he looked up, he noticed Yuri’s eyes quickly darting toward her own book.   
  
  Dan sighed as he lowered his book. Yuri shifted, bashfully pressing herself against the wall as she realized she’d been caught trying to sneak a glance at him reading. It was almost kind of endearing how shy she was being, he thought with a soft smile. She must have either really enjoyed this particular story, or was secretly fascinated by Dan, and was too shy to actually admit it. 

  “Hey,” He asked, “Do you want to read with me, Yuri? It’d be a lot easier to keep up with each other if we read together.”  
  
  Dan winced as he saw Yuri’s face contort into a startled expression. _Great Job, Dan,_ he cursed as he mentally kicked himself in the face, _Way to go not making you seem like you’re trying to come on to her, you fucking creep._  
  
  A few moments passed as Yuri’s posture untensed, and she was able to make eye contact with him again. Hesitantly, she moved closer to him, re-positioning herself so that both of them could be holding the book in their hands. Dan sucked in a sharp breath as he felt Yuri’s shoulder press into his shoulder.   
  
  Yuri seemed almost oblivious to Dan’s discomfort as she held part of her book in one hand, the world already fading around her as the words danced before her eyes. It was slightly off putting, he admitted. Yuri was normally so shy and reserved, her being this forward was somewhat unlike her. But then again, he couldn’t help but admit, that it was kind of endearing to see her taking small steps to break out of her shell.  
  
  Placing his teacup beside him, Dan shifted himself into a semi-comfortable reading position, and managed to relax.  
  
  For minutes, the two read in silence, seeming to move in unison as Dan flipped the page, and Yuri held it down. Dan didn’t bother asking her if she had finished before moving onto the the next page. He simply assumed that, given how quick of a reader that she must have been, and how many times she’d likely read this story before, she probably finished reading before he did. Either that, or she was too polite to tell him to go back or to slow down.   
  
  “Y’know,” Dan commented, “The main character in this kind of reminds me of you a bit, Yuri.”  
  
  The violet-haired girl shifted uncomfortably, he eyebrows furrowed, as she drew her shoulders to her ears.   
  
  “A-ah!” she stammered nervously, “Sh-she does? How so?”  
  
  “Well,” Dan explained, “She might be a bit more blunt than you. But, it’s the way that she second guesses herself a lot. Like, she’s kind of afraid of doing something wrong? I mean---I’m not saying that that’s what your thinking, it’s just that I see a lot of your mannerisms in her.”  
  
  “Ah,” Yuri looked at him sadly, “But, that’s kind of a bad thing to have in common with her, isn’t it? It’s embarrassing that you think that of me!”  
  
  “Wait,” Dan replied, “I didn’t mean it as an insult! I didn’t realize you were that self conscious about that, I’m sorry. I just meant that it’s kind of sweet. Sure, it’s not always good to be that self-conscious, but it’s also not a bad thing to be sure about how you feel about something before you dive right into something..”  
  
  “Oh, I see,” Yuri expression brightened a little, “I thought that you meant something else.”  
  
  A few moments had passed and the two of them had returned to reading. Slowly, Dan reached his free hand into his coat pocket, withdrawing a small piece of candy, that he’d nearly forgotten about.  Although he knew Sayori used to tease him about it, saying that it was such an old-man thing to do, he’d occasionally kept a couple small candies in hidden in his coat pockets, in case needed a quick sugar rush to pick him up. Usually, he kept a small packet of Skittles tucked away in there, but today he’d for some reason decided to bring a handful of small chocolates.   
  
  He watched as Yuri read, her lips moving silently to the words, seemingly obliviously to the fact that he was no-longer focusing on her reading. Carefully, his moved, placing the chocolate on her lips. The purple haired girl’s eyes widened, as did Dan’s, as she noticed the sweet candy now upon her lips.   
  
  What was he thinking? He thought to himself, realizing what he’d just done. Had he been thinking? He should have offered her the chocolate first, before he just gave it to her. For all he knew, she could have been allergic to chocolate, or didn’t like the taste. Or she wouldn’t like him kind of invading her personal space like that.  
  
  “I’m sorry,” Dan mumbled, “I shouldn’t have done that.”  
  
  Much to his surprise, Yuri said nothing as her posture relaxed again, biting the chocolate without a second thought. She gives a little, almost devilish grin as she returns to reading, silently assuring him that it was alright. She had actually found his spontaneity to be quite charming.  
  
  As Dan was about to turn his attention back to the book once more, he found his thoughts very abruptly being abruptly being jolted by Monika’s clear, ringing voice.   
  
  “Okay, everyone!” she said, “I think it’s time we shared today’s poems with each other. If we wait too long, we might not have enough time!”  
  
  Yuri sighed crestfallen as she let go of the book. Something in the subtle twitch in her jaw suggested that she she found Monika’s interruption to be more of an annoyance than anything else. Monika, too, seemed to notice this, as she glanced over at Yuri, flashing her one of her usual smiles.  
  
  “Is that okay with you Yuri?” she asked sympathetically, “You look kind of down. I’m sorry if you’re not looking forward to this.”  
  
  “N-no,” Yuri shook her head, “It’s fine.”  
  
  “Great!” Monika replied as she returned to her desk, leaving the two of them alone once more.  
  
  “So,” Dan said, “I guess I’ll try to read some more of this tonight. I could probably finish tonight if I really try. Unless, you want me to wait and read it with you tomorrow.”  
  
  “I don’t,” Yuri replied, though her voice sounded as if she did, in fact, have a preference, “have a preference either way.”  
  
  “Okay then,” Dan nodded, “I guess we can talk about it a little more before the meeting tomorrow.”  
  
  Yuri nodded, breathing a gentle sigh of relief as she hurriedly returned to her desk to retrieve her poem.

* * *

  
  
  Now that the club activities had gotten underway, Dan could feel a change in the atmosphere. The quiet and intimate atmosphere that floated over the clubroom like a sweet perfume now buzzed like a busy train station, as his fellow club members went about, discussing their poems with one another. He wondered what it would be like once the club grew and more members eventually joined.   
  
  He wasn’t sure if they’d still be able to effectively keep sharing poems like this once there was more people to share with. Either they’d have to modify how they went about sharing their poems, or try to find some other activity that would better accommodate a larger group of people.  
  
  But, that felt more of a concern for the President and Vice President of the Literature Club to sort out.

  Once more, he felt that uncomfortable knot of nervousness and apprehension that he had grown accustomed to in the past few days. Part of him wished that the could have conveniently forgotten about the poetry critique session. Sure, yesterday had went fairly well, he admitted. But that really only made it more difficult. Now, everyone had a frame of reference to compare his works to. Now, everyone was a little more comfortable with each other, there was less holding them back from given a more honest critique.   
  
  He just hoped that what he’d written today could hold up next to his first attempt.  
  
  Like yesterday, he decided to show his poem to Sayori first. He figured that he could trust her to go easy on him, but still at least be somewhat honest.   
  
  Sayori’s blue eyes widened, glimmering with interest as she read over his poem. After a few moments, she stared at him, beaming. Dan heaved a sigh of relief as she seemed to have enjoyed his poem. He figured that it was probably better not to tell her that he’d literally just repeated his writing process from yesterday.   
  
  “I really like this!” Sayori exclaimed, “It has a lot of nice feelings in it.”  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, “Do you think it’s better than yesterday’s poem?”  
  
  “Hmmm....” Sayori replied thinking, “I dunno! I liked them both.”  
  
  “Thanks,” Dan laughed, “But that’s not really that helpful.”  
  
  “Well,” Sayori blushed, giggling nervously, “I’m not really sure how to tell a good poem from a bad one. I just follow my heart! If it makes me feel things, then it must be a good poem.”  
  
  Dan sighed. As much as he agreed with her belief that what made a poem a “good” or “bad” one was completely subjective. But at the same time, he find of felt like it wasn’t nearly as simple as Sayori seemed to believe it to be. Still, conveying feelings was still an important part of the poetry writing process.  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan chuckled, “Maybe. Honestly, I don’t even know what kind of writing you like in the first place.”  
  
  Again, he thought that it was kind of odd. How had he managed to know Sayori for as long as he had, and not have some sort of idea of what kind of literature she liked? Hell, he thought, he hadn’t even realized that Sayori even liked poetry. But then again, he reasoned, people’s taste changed, so it was likely that Sayori had only recently developed an interest in literature.  
  
  “Yeah!” Sayori cheered, “Me neither!”  
  
  “Sayori,” he sighed again, “You could at least give it some thought?”  
  
  “Oh!” she smiled, “Do you want to write a poem for me? That’s so sweet!”  
  
  “That’ s not what I meant,” he replied, “I mean that it feels like your always thinking about other people. It’s okay to think about yourself and what you like sometimes. If you don’t, you might end up getting hurt, y’know?”  
  
  Sayori stared at him, looking as if she wanted to cry. Yet, this time, Dan felt as if he was unable to read her expression. His words had struck a cord with her, he noted. Though, no other features of her face betrayed her true feelings, indicating whether his words had had a positive or negative impact on her. He hoped that it was positive.  
  
  “Eheheh,” Sayori giggled nervously, “Well, I don’t know what you mean by that. But, I’ll try my best. Anyways, let’s see---I guess I like happy poems. But, sometimes I like sad poems, too. And sometimes I like things that are both! There’s a word for that, isn’t there? What is it....?”  
  
  “Bittersweet?” Dan suggested helpfully.  
  
  “Yeah, that’s the word,” she replied, “I like things that are happy and sad!”  
  
  “I can’t really see you liking something sad,” Dan frowned, stroking his chin, “But then again, you’ve always been full of surprises, huh?”  
  
  Sayori’s smile turned sad, almost disappointed. And once again, Dan felt as if he’d unknowingly punched her in the gut. He hadn’t intentionally meant to come off as dismissive, he thought. It was just that Sayori always seemed so happy around everyone, so eager to chase the sadness away from her friends hearts, that Sayori and sadness seemed like mortal enemies.   
  
  “Eheheheh,” Sayori giggled again, though her laugh sounded sort of hollow, “I guess that I like happier poems more. But, sometimes, when you have a little rain cloud hovering over your head, a sad poem can be like hugging the rain cloud and turning it into a beautiful rainbow, you know?”  
  
  “That’s” Dan replied, “Very poetic of you, Sayori! I’m impressed.”  
  
  “Really?” she replied, “Maybe I’m getting better at expressing myself after all! Thanks, Danny!”  
  
  Now, it was Dan’s turn to read Sayori’s poem. As his eyes scanned over the pages, he couldn’t help but feel reminded of his reaction to the sudden plot twist that Yuri had described when discussing her book earlier. The poem seemed so happy and bouncy, but somewhere along the lines, he could feel the speaker’s growing anxiety and desperation as they tried hopelessly to refill the empty bottles. He could almost feel his own hands shake as he imagined the trembling hands of the speaker dropping the fragile crystal bottles on the floor.  
  
  “Sayori....” Dan breathed, almost speechless.  
  
  “I told you,” Sayori said, grinning, “That I’d write the best poem ever today! Monika taught me a lot about writing! Plus, I’ve been trying to get in touch with my feelings a lot more often, lately”  
  
  Dan bit his lip, stroking his chin contemplatively. Again, he felt as if her reactions were unusually more like hollow mimics of emotions, as if she were attempting to put on a brave face for his sake. He wondered if he should try to say something to her about it now, or if doing so would only make her feel uncomfortable.   
  
  “Sayori,” he began, “Is there something you want to talk about? Something that’s been bothering you lately?”  
  
  The peach haired girl’s eyes darted nervously, as she fidgeted with the edges of her uniform’s ribbon. She looked at him with a pained expression, as if she wanted the words to come out. But, it felt as if thorns had grown on the inside of her throat, trapping the words before they could escape and reveal everything. And yet, once again it felt as if she had been forced behind that smiling porcelain mask. But this time, Dan felt as if he could see tiny cracks beginning to form on the surface.  
  
  “Eheheheh,” Sayori laughed, “N-no! There’ s nothing to talk about!”  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan reminded her gently, “Seriously, if there’s anything you need to talk about, I’m here to listen, okay?”  
  
  “Everything’s fine,” Sayori replied, perhaps a little more sharply than she intended, “I don’t want you worrying about me.”   
  
  Dan shrugged. Although he didn’t necessarily believe that everything was as okay as Sayori wanted him to pretend it was, he didn’t see the point in arguing with her. After all, he reminded himself, he was her friend. As much as he wanted to help her, accidentally pushing too hard for her to open up before she was ready would be dangerous for both of them.  
  
  “Never mind,” Dan apologized, “Anyways, you’re poem came out really good. You should be proud of it.”  
  
  “Aww,” Sayori said, smiling warmly, “Thanks! I feel like I was meant to express myself this way, you know? Like, it helps me understand my own feelings a bit better. It’s kind of magical.”  
  
  “You’ve gotten,” Dan smiled “Pretty passionate about this, huh? I hope you keep it up.”  
  
  “Yeah!” Sayori cheered, perhaps a little too enthusiastically, “I’m gonna keep writing poems until I die!”  
  
  Dan laughed weakly, rubbing his arm nervously. He really wished that Sayori hadn’t said it like that. He just hoped that, with whatever was going on with her, that the day she stopped writing wouldn’t be for another several years from now.    
  
  But then again, he thought, maybe there really was nothing wrong. Maybe he was just trying to see subtext where there wasn’t any, and trying to make something out of nothing. 

* * *

  Having finished is discussion with Sayori, he figured to continue following original pattern through the club, and talk to Natsuki next.  
Part of him was actually looking forward to her critique, he thought, even if it was going to be somewhat brutal.   
  
  Natsuki frowned, staring over the paper several times as she read through the lines. A pleased smirk came over her face as she handed the paper back to him.  
  
  “Well,” she said, “It’s not bad. It’s definitely a lot less all over the place than yesterdays. So, I guess that’s an improvement. I mean, at least this one feels a little more like something you’d actually write.”  
  
  “So you think it’s bad?” Dan asked nervously.  
  
  “Nah,” Natsuki shook her head, “It’s good. But, not too good. Like, it at least shows that you’re willing to learn. Then again, if you’d written something like your last one, I would have been super pissed.”  
  
  Dan wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by that, but he figured that it was probably best to let it go. He wasn’t really sure that he’d done anything different that last time really. Maybe this time he’d, through some outrageous luck of the draw, actually managed to get a set of words that actually fit better together this time.  
  
  “I guess,” Dan shrugged, “I wanted to try something new.”  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki replied, “I guess it worked. But, then again, you’re still new here, so I’m not really expecting you to figure out your style right away.”  
  
  As much as he would have taken offense to that, he had to admit that there was a bit of truth to it. Sure he had certain themes and imagery that he’d repeat in his songs, especially his more serious ones, but overall he kind of lacked a singular style, so much as three completely separate styles.  
  
 “But,” Natsuki added, “This poem kind of sounds a lot like the poem Sayori yesterday.”  
  
  “You think so?”  
  
  “Yeah,” she replied, “I mean, I totally get you and Sayori writing similar stuff. I mean, you two have known each other for years, so you’d definitely be on the same wavelength. But, you never really struck me as her type?”  
  
  Sayori’s type? What did Natsuki mean by that he wondered. He didn’t know that Sayori had a type of person that she was interested in. They’d literally never talked about it with each other before; it would have been just too awkward of a subject for them to talk about. Why did it feel like the others in the club knew Sayori better than he seemed to know her? He wondered.  
  
  “Whatever,” Natsuki continued, “I just don’t see how someone as air-headed as her can hang out with a guy like you. It’s like she’s dragging around a dead-weight or something. ”  
  
  “Hey,” Dan replied defensively, “That’s not fair! I mean, look at it this way; I kind of help keep Sayori grounded, and she kind of drags me into new experiences. You can say that we care about each other in our own way. ”  
  
  Natsuki grimaced, gritting her teeth. Dan grinned inwardly to himself. Despite Natsuki’s attempt to insult him, he knew exactly what was going on.  
  
  “Ah, I get it,” Dan smirked, “You’re jealous, aren’t you? Don’t worry about it. Just ‘cause I’m friends with everyone else in the club, doesn’t mean that we’re gonna stop being friends with you, too.”  
  
  “That’s not---” Natsuki replied, flustered, “Grrr! Just read my damn poem, now,okay?”  
  
  Hastily, she shoved the poem in his hand. His brow furrowed as he read through the poem. It was a little longer than the previous day’s poem, that was for sure. But, it also seemed a lot more blunt and angry than her last poem. Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Natsuki with a mildly alarmed expression.  
  
  “Umm,” Dan began, trying to find the write words, “Well, it’s a bit longer than yesterday’s,”  
  
  Natsuki frowned, her pink eyes glaring at him in annoyance, as if she had expected him to immediately pick up on the meaning behind her poem.  
  
  “Well of course,” she replied, “Yesterday’s was way too short. I didn’t want you to think that that was the best I got.”  
  
  “Of course not,” Dan agreed, “It also seems like it’s a bit more personal than yesterday’s?”  
  
  “Ha!” Natsuki laughed, “Of course it’s not, idiot! The speaker in a poem isn’t always the writer, you know. And, they don’t always reflect writer’s own beliefs or opinions.”  
  
  “Oh,” Dan replied, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that the meaning and feeling of the felt like it came from a personal place.”  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki continued, her cold glare easing a little, “Anyways, I think the meaning of the poem’s kind of straightforward. Sometimes you can explain complicated issues using simpler analogies, and it helps people realize how stupid their being.”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan agreed, “Like, how it’s obvious how over-exaggerated the speaker hating Amy for liking spiders is meant to make the reader consider their own snap judgments they might make about other people in their lives?”  
  
  “Exactly,” Natsuki replied, “It’s obvious that the speaker is an ignorant jerk.”  
  
  “So,” Dan guessed, “This is based on people you know, then?”  
  
  “It’s about,” Natsuki replied, her face flushing red, “How everyone thinks my--”  
  
  “Natsuki,” Dan said gently, holding up his hand to cut her off “You don’t have to be defensive about your manga collection. Especially not around me.”  
  
  Natsuki grumbled as she crossed her arms. Her angry blush turned embarrassed as she remembered their conversation from the previous day.  
  
  “Whatever,” she said quickly, “It can be about anything. It’s not like poems just gotta have one meaning, you know. I wrote it to be easy to relate to. Everybody has some kind of hobby or guilty pleasure. Something that your afraid people might make fun of you, or think less of you if they find out. It’s not always easy to not be self-conscious about it. But, as long as you’re not hurting anyone, who cares what makes people happy? People who try to judge other people’s happiness are just stupid.”  
  
  Dan smiled. So, she had remembered yesterday’s conversation after all. He was glad to see that she was starting to take that kind of message to heart. It was at least a step in the right direction toward her being more willing to openly embrace her interests.   
  
  “Hell yeah!” Dan said, holding his hand up for a high five. At first, the pink haired girl looked at him, utterly confused and alarmed, like she didn’t know what he was doing. However, quickly, a grin spread across her face as she jumped at little, returning his high-five somewhat awkwardly, thanks to the height difference that still existed between them, even while sitting.   
  
  “But seriously?” Natsuki replied, “I get that conveying emotions is good and everything. But, I want to make people think, and not just feel when they read my poems. I’m gonna write a good one tomorrow, so you better be ready for it.”

* * *

  With his and Natsuki’s poetry critique session finished, Dan was a little hesitant to share his poem with Yuri.  
  
  After the incident with the chocolates they had while they were reading earlier, he was almost positive that Yuri would be too embarrassed to share her poem with him, much less even look him in the eyes. And, honestly? He wouldn’t blame her.   
  
  Although he had acted without thinking at the time, on an afterthought, he figured he had a couple of good reasons behind his actions. At first, he figured that it it was simply a matter of wanting to share the candy with her, but not wanting to distract her from reading or to accidentally cause her to smudge her book.    
  
  But beyond that, he thought there was another reason behind his actions. He figured that if she saw him acting spontaneously, then she might possibly start to feel that it was safer for her herself to start to relax and be more open. Granted, he thought, he probably should have chosen a far less awkward way of going about it.  
  
  Slowly, he approached her, hoping to find some way to not make the situation any more awkward than it already was. They were professionals, he reminded himself as the two stared at each other in uncomfortable silence for several long, painful moments. Or at least as professional as one can be in a high school Literature Club. Surely, they could put their feelings aside for a moment to discuss a couple simple poems.   
  
  Oddly, it was Yuri who seemed to break the ice first.  
  
  “Let’s see,” she said as he handed her his poem, “what you’ve written today. “  
  
  Once more, long, agonizing silence passed between them as Yuri read over his poem, her violet eyes narrowing as they dance across the paper. Her eyes widen as they read back over the poem several times, as if either suddenly surprised or perplexed by his poem.  
  
  Finally, Dan let out a sigh of relief, letting go of a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding, as she sat the paper down.  
  
  “So,” he said, “what’d you think?”  
  
  “How did you pick up on this so quickly?” Yuri wondered, “Granted, it’s still got much room for improvement. But, I can tell that you definitely took much of what we discussed yesterday and applied it. I’m very impressed.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan replied, blushing as he flashed a bashful smile, “I had a good teacher. You really did a pretty good job explaining. I mean, I sort of was already trying out imagery with my other stuff. But, I really wanted to try experimenting more with it.”  
  
  Yuri swallowed nervously. Restlessly, her hands played with the edges of her hair, twisting it about through her fingers, as she avoided looking at him yet again. Had he accidentally said something wrong?  
  
  “I--I’m not,” Yuri apologized, “Used to this....”  
  
  “It’s fine,” he assured her, “Just take your time. Remember to breathe.”  
  
  Yuri nodded as she took several deep breaths, collecting her thoughts. Dan knew that Yuri preferred thinking before she spoke, and figured that it was only right to be patient with her. Part of him could sympathize with her. After all, it wasn’t always easy to get your thoughts across clearly without thinking about them a moment first. That said, he noted, there was always that unfortunate possibility of thinking too much that one could easily be rendered unable to speak through sheer force of anxiety alone.   
  
  “It’s just....” Yuri started again, “I’m not used to being appreciated, I guess. Seeing someone being motivated by my writing? It just makes me happy, I guess.”  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, quirking a curious eyebrow as he leaned back in his chair, “You’re telling me that you’ve never written before? You gotta be shitting me. You seem like a total pro at this!”  
  
  “I-I usually write for myself,” Yuri mumbled, “Besides, I feel like people would laugh at me.”  
  
  “So?” he replied, “Who cares if it they laugh? That’s their problem, not yours. I mean, I wouldn’t laugh at you. And you’re other friends probably wouldn’t either.”   
  
  To this, Yuri said nothing. Deciding that it was probably best not to continue deeper into this particular line of conversation. He had a sneaking suspicion that Yuri didn’t really have a lot of people that she truly considered close enough to be friends. Or the few friends she did have actually did mock her for her interests. If that was truly the case, he thought, then it was little wonder as to why she’d be so withdrawn about her interests.  
  
  “Anyway,” Dan continued, changing the subject, “Do you want to share the poem you wrote today?”  
  
  ”S-sure,” she nodded, “If it’s with you.”  
  
  Another silence of anxious anticipation as Dan read through her poem. Like Natsuki and Sayori’s poems, this one was a little longer and more complicated than her previous poem. This one, he noted, was very much heavy on imagery and symbolism. On the surface, it seemed like a simple, but somewhat bizarre narrative describing a person cutting bread and feeding a raccoon, his experience with her previous poem told him to look past the surface and dig deeper for the underlying theme.  
  
  He wondered if the possibly it was a metaphor for some kind of addiction or habit? Or if he was perhaps being too specific, and this, much like Natsuki’s poem, was focused on Yuri’s own secret interests. Involuntarily, he wondered what kind of hidden interests did Yuri possess that would provoke this particular imagery?   
  
  “I was,” Yuri explained, “a little more daring with this poem than I was yesterdays.”  
  
  “I can see that,” Dan replied, “It’s a lot more metaphorical than yesterdays.”  
  
  “Yes,” she continued, “It’s a lot closer to my preferred writing style; using the poem as a canvas to express vivid imagery and conveying and expressing emotions through them.”  
  
  “I see,” he nodded, “I mean, I think I had some kind of idea what it was about. But, just on face value it’s kind of difficult to figure out what it’s supposed to mean.”  
  
  “Well,” Yuri explained, “I think that it’s something that different people can relate to in their own way. I wanted to express how it feels for me to indulge in my more unusual hobbies. It’s those sort of things that I’m forced to keep to myself.”  
  
  Dan nodded in agreement, although he wasn’t entirely sure what Yuri meant by ‘unusual hobbies’ . He also noted, that between Natsuki and Yuri, most of the club members seemed to have some sort of aspect of themselves that they tried to keep hidden from the rest of the world. He wondered what kinds of secrets, if any, the other club members kept close to their hearts.   
  
  Honestly, he felt as if he might have been the only person in the club who didn’t have any sort of secrets. Though, admittedly, that wasn’t entirely true. While it was known that he likely hadn’t joined the Literature Club out of much of a serious desire to learn about literature, he wasn’t sure that the others had quite realized that the prospect of growing closer with each of the club members was a big factor in his decision to join the club. But, that wasn’t necessarily a secret, he argued.   
  
  “Don’t you have anything like that, Danny?” Yuri asked.  
  
  “Maybe,” Dan replied, “I guess I might. I dunno.”  
  
  “I feel like everyone has a little something like that,” Yuri replied, “The best we can do is respect each other and their individualities. Even if it is difficult sometimes, and some things make us uncomfortable.”  
  
  A tiny smile crossed Dan’s lips as he tried to hold back an amused chuckled. It was interesting, he thought, that despite their wildly different personalities, and their differing perspectives on literature and writing styles, the two of them had the same opinion in regards to this particular topic. It was especially amusing, he added, that the two had both managed to approach the subject in the same way.  
  
  Yuri, noticing the curly-haired man’s smile, blushed. He noticed her shoulders start to tense, slowly drawing up toward her ears as she tried to make herself appear as small as possible.   
  
  “A-are,” Yuri mumbled, “You laughing at me? I didn’t say something weird, did I?”  
  
  “Not at all,” Dan reassured her, “It’s just that Natsuki wrote a poem about the same thing. About being ridiculed for having so called ‘strange’ interests, I mean.”  
  
  Although her eyebrow quirked curiously, Dan was relieved to see that Yuri’s posture had relaxed once more. She breathed a gentle sigh of relief as she rested her hand on her chest.  
  
  “She did?” she asked.  
  
  “Yeah,” he replied, “She was talking about how it doesn’t matter what your into as long as your not hurting anyone with it.”  
  
  “A-ah!” Yuri exclaimed, wringing her hands together “She’s right. I-I mean, does she really feel that way?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan nodded, “You know, you two really do have a lot in common. I bet you guys could be best friends if you gave it a shot.”  
  
  “Well,” she replied, “That’s...interesting. To me, she always seemed like the type of person who’d make fun of my hobbies. But, I suppose that’s my fault for making a judgment of character based on superficial evidence, isn’t it?”  
  
  Yuri’s face reddened in embarrassment for what seemed like the fourth time today as she realized the words she just spoke.  
  
  “A-ah!” she squeaked hastily, “Please don’t tell her I said that!”  
  
  “Don’t worry,” Dan laughed, “I don’t have a reason to.”  
  
  “Anyways,” Yuri sighed again, relieved, “Thank you for sharing it with me. After all, if I hadn’t learned to embrace my own weirdness, I would probably hate myself. I might be ranting a bit. I apologize. But, I’m glad that you’re a good listener, Danny.”

* * *

There wasn’t much left to say after his and Yuri’s discussion of their poems. At least nothing that wouldn’t have quickly devolved into several, long, awkward moments of embarrassed silence while the two of them tried to figure out what to say next.   
  
  He decided that Monika was the next logical choice, and casually approached her. As usual, she smiled sweetly in his direction, as if his presence alone was a welcome ray of sunlight on a dreary winter day. Self-consciously, the curly haired man ran brushed away a few stubborn curls that refused to be bound, as he felt butterflies fluttering in the pit of his stomach.   
  
  “Hi again, Danny,” she greeted him, “How’s the writing going?”  
  
  “It’s going okay,” Dan shrugged “I guess.”  
  
  Monika laughed, evidently amused by his futile attempt at maintaining an illusion of nonchalant indifference. The butterflies fluttered about faster, as he swallowed deeply. Why did he feel so intimidated by her, he wondered. Sure, he admitted, perhaps he felt some sort of mild infatuation with her. But, this was The Literature Club President and class sweetheart, he thought. It wasn’t like there was a snowball’s chance in Hell that she’d ever return those feelings. The kind of person that she’d be interested in would have to be a truly special person.  
  
  And him? He was far too average and ordinary to even come close.   
  
  “I’ll take that,” she replied, “As long as your having fun and applying yourself, you’re sure to create a masterpiece someday.”  
  
  “Heh,” Dan smirked, “I really doubt that.”  
  
  “You never know,” Monika replied, “Anyways, do you want me to read what your wrote today?”  
  
  “Sure,” he replied, handing her the paper, “That’s what we’re here for, right?”  
  
  Monika’s eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing as she read Dan’s poem. Several emotions, all delicately hidden by a veil of placid calmness, passed across her face far too rapidly for him to even attempt to comprehend. The most notable, or rather the least subtle, of these emotions was intrigue. Admittedly, he thought, while he did believe he worked a little harder on this poem,he seriously doubted that it was anywhere near good enough that Monika would genuinely find it interesting.   
  
  She had to just be pretending that it was good in order to be polite and spare his feelings.   
  
  “Alright!” Monika said, returning the paper, “Great job, Danny! It’s really metaphorical and interesting. I was going ‘ooh!’ on my head the entire time.”  
  
  “C’mon,” Dan laughed, “Now, tell me how you really felt about it.”  
  
  “No,” Monika replied emphatically, shaking her head, “I mean it! I’m not sure why, but I didn’t expect you to go into something so full of emotion. It really feels like this might be closer to your real style. Even the parts that are supposed to be humorous are filled with very careful wordplay and emotion. I guess I underestimated you”  
  
  Despite himself, Dan felt his heart flutter once more at Monika’s compliment. Sure, he was still somewhat convinced that she was just showing politeness, but if it meant that he got to see her smile and say nice things to him, he wasn’t exactly in a position to be complaining.  
  
  “Eh,” he joked with a shrug, “I like to keep people’s expectations low. That way, it always counts if I put in even a little effort.”  
  
  Monika’s green eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed as she folded her hands behind her back. She looked sharply at him, her eyes piercing through his core as he had become accustomed to. He felt the hairs on his arms and neck prickle uncomfortably as a sudden chill swept through his body. Was Monika disappointed in him? he wondered. He was just joking, he thought, he hadn’t actually intended to speak so negatively about himself.  
  
  “That’s not fair,” Monika continued, giggling “Well, I guessed it worked, anyways! However, it does still feel like you might have had someone in mind while writing this. Like, I feel like there’s an interesting mix of Yuri’s complex symbolism and imagery, and Sayori’s penchant for focusing on emotions. It’s very easy to determine what feelings are trying to be captured here, but also leaves the reader to interpret their own meanings from it. It’s a very challenging to write like that effectively. It allows people to get something out of it by both thought and feeling. It can take years of practice, which I assume that they both have at this point. Especially Yuri. But, I’ve never really asked them, to be honest.”  
  
  “I’m sure I’m nowhere near either of their levels,” Dan admitted, shaking his head, “Especially not Yuri’s.”  
  
  Again, Monika smiled as she gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. His shoulder tingled warmly, as if heated by a comforting fire, competing with the burning heat that he was sure must have been coming from his reddened face. He was sure that, had they had a bucket of water nearby, they would have had no need to even bother with heating it with the tea kettle. All they would have had to do was hold it near the curly haired man’s face for a couple of minutes, and the entire room would be filled with more steam than a hot spring.  
  
  Thankfully, Monika seemed oblivious to how shy and self conscious her touch alone had rendered him.   
  
  “Well,” Monika reassured him, “Don’t worry so much about that. You do your own thing, and keep exploring and trying new things! But anyways, do you want to read my poem, now? I liked the way this one turned out, so I hope you do, too.”  
  
  Dan nodded, happy for even the slightest change of subject to cool his burning face. Calmly and gracefully, Monika handed him the poem. Whatever warmth flowed through his body was chilled as frozen terror and existential dread once more rushed through his veins.  
  
  The words, choppy and disconnected from one another, felt as if they were being spoken over the crackle of static and deafening white noise. He could feel the speaker’s desperation as the white noise grew louder and louder, the colors flashing faster and faster. What, he wondered, would inspire Monika to choose this particular subject and style? Did it have something to do with the epiphany that she had mentioned having recently? Did she perhaps feel the same way as the speaker--that she wished to be heard above the noise and chaos of her life?  
  
  And then, there was the last line, separated from all the others:   
  
  “ ** _Load Me._** ”   
  
  There was something about that line that shook the core of his being. What did that mean? He wondered. Did it mean anything? Why did these two words unsettle him so much? It was as if these two words held all the secrets of their universe, just tantalizingly and frustratingly out of reach.  
  
  Dan swallowed, breathing deeply as he tried to regain his shaken composure before Monika could notice that her poem had had such a deep effect on him.   
  
  “Wow,” he said hoarsely, clearing his throat, “This is even more abstract than your last one, huh?”  
  
  Monika smiled nervously as she coyly folded her hands behind her back, leaning forward ever so slightly. There almost seemed something somewhat flirtatious behind her pose, he thought. But then, he reasoned, he was probably just imagining things and selfishly interpreting things that didn’t need interpreting.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” She giggled, “I guess that’s the way I write. I’m sorry if you don’t like it.”  
  
  Dan bit his lip. It wasn’t to say that he didn’t like her poem. Granted, of the two poems of hers that he’d read, both had managed to invoke a feeling of existential terror and desperation in his mind that made him feel as if he were experiencing a mild anxiety attack. But, that didn’t make a bad poem, necessarily.  
  
  “Now,” Dan replied, “I didn’t say that I didn’t like it. It’s not the type of stuff that I’m used to. I still think it’s good, though.”  
  
  “I kind of felt like playing with space on the paper, “ Monika explained, “Knowing how and where to space the words can really change the mood of the poem.”  
  
  Dan nodded in agreement. The abrupt silence that the blank spaces had certainly felt jarring. And the addition of the last two words made it feel as if the reality itself had shifted, suddenly putting the chaos into context.   
  
  “I decided to use short sentences,” she continued, “To make it feel like the speaker is trying to speak over a noise that only they can hear.”  
  
  “I see,” Dan said, stroking his chin pensively, “It’s still a bit hard to figure out what it’s about, though. I mean, I can guess about the setting and tone, but everytime I try to figure out what it’s about, it’s kind of seems conflicting.”  
  
  “Sometimes,” Monika explained sagely, “A poem doesn’t have to be ‘about’ anything. Sometimes, it’s more of an expression of an abstract thought, or a conversation with the reader.”  
  
  She paused, letting out a cheerful giggle before continuing, her tone changing.  
  
  “Anyways,” she continued, “Here’s Monika’s Writing Tip of the Day: If you ever find yourself facing a difficult decision, When that happens, don’t forget to save your game! You never know when you might change your mind, or something unexpected might happen.”  
  
  Dan blinked, arching an confused and bewildered eyebrow. What was she talking about? He wondered, trying to wrap his head around this in a way that would make sense. He supposed that she likely misspoke, and she had meant to talk about writing on a computer, and saving a back up copy of one’s work, especially right before reaching a scene or line in a story or poem that had multiple options could be used.   
  
  Monika too, seemed to confirm that she had misspoken. She blinked, staring at him with a confused expression on her face. It was as if she, too, were surprised by the words that had slipped from her mouth.   
  
  “Ahahahaha,” She laughed nervously, “Wait. Is that tip even about writing? What am I even talking about? Well, you know what I mean, I guess. Anyways, that’s my writing advice for the day! Thanks for listening.”

* * *

  Dan had left his poetry sharing session with Monika feeling as if he’d just been blindfolded and stuck on an out of control spinning carousel at a carnival. He felt as if his mind and his body had temporarily desynched from one another. His body would move, but it would take a few seconds before he felt his mind drag itself back into alignment.    
  
  However, the more time he let pass between him and the poem, the more his senses were able to realign themselves, leaving him only with a vague sense of unease and confusion. But that too, he noted, quickly faded as well.   
  
  Arin seemed lost in thought, seemingly unaware that Dan had approached him. Perhaps, Dan assumed, he was still thinking over the poem that he and Sayori had been discussing. He wondered if Arin had also noticed the hint of desperation that so ominously undertoned her poem. He wondered if he, too, had attempted to subtly approach the subject, only to be curtly shot down.  
  
  But then again, he thought, it was likely that Sayori had already told Arin what was on her mind. Involuntarily, he felt his jaw tightened as he felt a sharp pang of jealousy tug at his heart. Why was he jealous of Sayori and Arin? It wasn’t like he saw either of them as anything other friends. What did it matter to him if it seemed like Sayori and Arin had become closer during the short time the both of them had been in the Literature Club together? It was good that Sayori had managed to find more friends he thought.   
  
  “Hey, Arin,” Dan asked, leaning over Arin’s desk and waving his hand in front of the other man’s face, “Earth to Arin? You there, buddy?”  
  
  Arin jumped, startled for a moment as he was abruptly snapped from his daydream. Much like the first time that the two had met, Arin’s eyes widened fearfully as his eyes met the other man’s own. Silent fear and apprehension danced behind those brown eyes, as if he were worried that any one of them could vanish from existence at any moment.  
  
  “Oh,” Arin apologized, “S-sorry. Didn’t mean to space out.”  
  
  “Dude,” Dan said, “It’s cool. Got something on your mind? Maybe a cute person you want to ask to the school festival, or something?”  
  
  The other man chuckled, as a gentle smile painted his lips, his brown eyes staring warmly into the distance, as if he were recalling a pleasant, long forgotten memory. Shaking his head, he coughed, absently twisting a loose strand of hair with his fingers.  
  
  “Not exactly,” Arin sighed, “More like just thinking about some important stuff I gotta do this weekend.”  
  
  Dan huffed, fighting with all his will to hold back his laughter as he dramatically flipped the curly poof of hair that formed his low pony-tail. Scrunching his face into mock annoyance, he attempted his best impression of Natsuki as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and pouted.  
  
  “Ah,” Dan jokingly feigned indignant anger “That’s a bummer. And here I was thinking you were going to give me some juicy, scandalous gossip here. And then you just leave me with nothing?! How dare you, sir?! How. Dare. You?!”  
  
  
  As he heard Arin’s laugh, mimicking Dan’s tone with high-pitched goofy voice of his own, the other man couldn’t help but feel a warm glow spreading across his body. Maybe it was just because they were the only two guys in the Literature Club, but Dan couldn’t help but feel as there were some sort of bond between them. It almost felt that it was some sort of act divine intervention that had brought the two of them into the Literature Club together.   
  
  But of course, Dan reminded himself, they probably just happened to have had the types of personalities that just complimented each other really well. Honestly, he noticed, it seemed to be somewhat of a common thing between the other Literature Club members as well.  
  
  “Anyways,” Arin said, “We should probably read each other’s poems, right?”  
  
  Dan nodded in agreement as the two of them traded poems. A long, moment of tense silence wormed it’s way between them as Dan stared down at the paper, reading. Today’s poem, a was a fairly short poem entitled “ _Reset_ ”

**_-Reset-_ **

  
_This game is impossible!_   
  
**_Reset._ **   
  
_I've played this game for hours!_   
  
**_Reset._ **   
  
_It's just this one part---Fuck!_   
  
**_Reset._ **   
  
_I should know when to jump, when to dodge._   
  
**_Reset_ **   
  
_When to talk and when to fight._   
  
**_Reset_ **   
  
_Damn it! Did I jump too soon?_   
  
**_Reset_ **   
  
_Is it really impossible?_   
  
**_Reset_ **   
  
_But, it makes you smile. So I start again._

  Dan breathed a sigh of relief as he finished reading the poem. Much like yesterday’s poem, he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps his decision to view everyone else’s poems first had influenced his perception of this one. Like with Monika’s poem, he could feel a hint of desperation in the speaker’s voice as they tried to get past that difficult part. But, likewise, he wondered if perhaps the video game was more of a metaphor.  
  
  He thought back to their conversation the previous day. He remembered the scared, haunted darkness that he saw haloed in the other man’s eyes, as he vaguely alluded to his past mistakes. In Arin’s mind, Dan guessed, the memory of that enigmatic incident played over and over again. Hindsight scolded him as guilt hungrily feasted on his soul, reminding him of what he could have done to prevent it, but ultimately unable to change anything.    
  
  And yet, in some sick, twisted way, he wondered if Arin secretly thought he deserved this mental punishment?  
  
  But, maybe he was looking too deeply into it.  
  
  “So,” Arin asked, adjusting his glasses as he looked up at Dan once he'd finished reading his poem, “Have you ever heard of a band called Rush?”  
  
  Dan’s ears perked up enthusiastically as he nodded. Of course he knew who Rush was, he thought. Although they weren’t really an obscure band, being one of those bands that one was likely to hear on a Classic Rock radio station, they still weren’t really one of those bands that he knew a lot of people who were really into them.   
  
  “Dude!” Dan replied, “They’re like one of my favorite bands ever! Why do you ask?”  
  
  “Oh,” Arin laughed, “No real reason. You’re poem kind of reminded me of a couple of their songs. Like, they’re pretty imagery and concept heavy sometimes, like a lot of artists in the genre. But, in some cases, they use it to capture the feeling of a simple, but abstract concept.  
  
  “Kind of like in _Time Stand Still_ ,” Dan suggested, “Just that feeling growing up of losing one’s innocence and wonder to the passage of time, but still wanting to hang onto that feeling, even as it slips away?”  
  
 “Yeah,” Arin agreed, “But, I’d argue it’s more similar in general technique than content. That said, this poem really felt a lot more like something you’d normally write than yesterday poem did. I felt like there was sort of a natural beauty and honesty to it---I guess that’s how you’d say it? Eh, either way, I really liked it.”  
  
  Dan nodded. Although he didn’t quite understand what Arin had necessarily meant by ‘beauty and honesty’. But, Arin had just compared his writing to one of his favorite bands of all time, so he was far too beyond flattered to actually question it too much.   
  
  It almost made him a little worried about how his own critique of Arin’s poem was going to hold up.   
  
  “Well,” Arin said, “I guess that it’s your turn, now. And don’t hold back on me, dude. Really give me everything you’ve got.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan laughed, “I can be honest, but I’m probably not the best person to really give a critique. So, here we go, I guess. Okay, just being honest---part of me really kind of was reminded of playing _Super Mario Bros 2_ on the NES as a kid. Like, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rage-quit certain parts of that game, even though I like ended up finding all the secrets and everything.”   
  
  “Oh yeah,” Arin agreed, “I kind of wrote this after playing some old games. I mean, I guess, kind of like writing, video games are kind of another way for me to vent frustration and anger. I figure that if I get angry at a game, then it’s easier not to let things in real life bother me as much, because I at least have an outlet for that.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “I totally get it dude. Anyways, I better get back to the poem before I get way too off track talking about old school Nintendo games. Anyways, I really liked how you used the sudden word ‘reset’ to break up the flow of the poem. It kind of tricks the reader into feeling like the poem keeps trying to start over, but still seems to flow forward as well. The repetitiveness really helped reflect the speaker’s frustration and anger that they feels about being stuck on something.”  
  
  Dan paused, drawing a deep breath before continuing. He wasn’t sure how to begin to approach talking about the subtext he had read underneath the simple words of the poem. He feared that if he was too direct and blunt, it’d be a repeat of the situation with Sayori. Arin would very sharply shut him down and become defensive.   
  
  But on the other hand, if he was too subtle, the other man would miss the point entirely, and wouldn’t say anything, anyways. Either way, Dan figured with a defeated sigh, there wasn’t really a way to win either scenario, was there?  
  
  “There’s one other thing,” Dan said finally, “It’s about the end of the poem. And, this isn’t really a critique or anything, just how I read it. I kind of felt like the speaker felt like they deserved to be put through hell, because someone else got joy from their pain and frustration. I....I don’t agree with that at all. I don’t feel like anyone should have to hurt just to make someone else happy. That’s just really messed up.”  
  
  The other man folded his arms, staring down at his chest in deep thought. Once more, the all too familiar sorrowful shroud veiled his chocolate colored eyes, dulling them to murky brown that reminded Dan of trying to see underwater in a muddy swamp. Once more he watched as Arin sighed deeply, closing his eyes and shutting out the dark memories before they could hijack his mind.  
  
  “I mean,” Arin replied, “I guess you could see it that way, and you probably wouldn’t be wrong. There isn’t always one solid interpretation to literature. Unless your like talking about an instruction manual or something. But, I kind of thought it was more like this: The speaker in the poem knows that what their doing is difficult, right? But they’re determined not to give up, no matter how many times it takes because they’ve got something that keeps them going.”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan agreed, “When you put it that way, it’s way more hopeful and positive. I guess I kind of was looking at it pessimistically because everyone else’s poems were kind of downbeat, I guess. Totally not dissing on everyone’s poems, though. Don’t get me wrong.”  
  
  “Didn’t think you were,” Arin replied as he leaned back in his chair, “Seriously, though, dude. Everyone’s writing here kind of tends to lean toward the negative. I think it’s partially just that kind of  idea of ‘true art is angsty’ or some crap. I really think that’s a load of bullshit, though. As long as it’s creative and you had fun making it, it doesn’t matter if the art you make is some deep,symbolic statement on the human condition, or a badly drawn sketch of a rabbit, then it’s still art. But, I’m probably rambling right now, huh?”  
  
  Dan smirked as he agreed. Despite himself, he couldn’t help but think how much the other man reminded him of Yuri again, as he spoke with passion. Though, he thought, he was almost pretty sure that the two of them probably had wildly different takes on that subject. He wished he could have been able to listen in on their poetry sharing session. He was sure that the discussions the two of them got into had to be quite fascinating.  
  
  At the same time, he found his thoughts trailing back to Sayori. He wondered if she had had the same thoughts about Arin’s poem that he had. Something in the note of disquiet and urgency that tugged at his heartstrings, making the sound of  his heartbeat pound in his skull like a deafening drum, made him feel that Sayori needed to hear some sort of comforting advice, urging her to keep going.   
  
  These were words that Dan herself needed to tell her. But, he felt as if, no matter what he told her, his words would only fall on deaf ears. He felt as if attempting this would be like swimming upstream against a powerful and dangerous undercurrent. And unfortunately, he felt as if he didn’t understand his own feelings well enough to not get swept away in the undertow. _  
_

* * *

  With the poetry sharing session drawing to a finish, Dan felt the mood and atmosphere of the club room shift once more. The lively, animated buzzing that rang through the air faded into a more subdued, but comfortable droning, more similar to how it felt at the beginning of the meeting.  
  
  “Okay everyone!” Monika chirped brightly, “We’re all done reading each other’s poems, right? I know that we don’t have much time left, but I have something extra planned for today, so I’d like for everyone to come  sit at the front of the room, please.”  
  
  The other five club members wordlessly took their seats. Yuri and Natsuki exchanged confused, worried glances with one another, unsure of what possible extra activity Monika could have possibly planned for today. Sayori, by contrast, seemed almost excited as she smiled to herself, knowing full well what they were about to do, as she sat down and immediately started drawing on a large piece of paper.  
  
  “Is this about the festival?” Natsuki asked.  
  
  “Well,” Monika replied, “Sort of.”  
  
  “Ugh,” Natsuki rolled her eyes, “Do we really have to do something for the festival? It not like we can put together anything good in a few days. We’ll just end up embarrassing ourselves and looking like total losers. Then, we’ll never get new members, because nobody wants to be in in the Loser’s Club.”  
  
  “Dude,” Arin interjected jokingly, under his breath “I’d join the Loser’s Club.”  
  
  “That’s a concern of mine as well,” Yuri added, agreeing with her petite companion, “I don’t really do well with last minute preparations.”  
  
  Monika's smile remained confident, shrugging off her club members apprehensions and doubts like dust on her jacket. In a way, Dan envied her confidence. She made it seem like planning for a big event like the school festival in less than five days was easy. But, he knew there was a whole lot more that went into the processes. There had to be decorations made, times scheduled, and activities that had to be decided upon. And that was not an easy task, even for six people.  
  
  “We’re going to keep it simple,” Monika explained, “We won’t need much more than a few decorations. Sayori has been working on posters since yesterday, and I’ve designed some pamphlets we can give out at the event.”  
  
  “Okay,” Natsuki replied dubiously, “That’s great and all, but that still doesn’t tell us what we’re doing?”  
  
  “Ah!” Monika apologized with a gasp, “Sorry, I thought that Sayori had already told everyone! We’re going to be performing!”  
  
  The sudden silence that shook the room could have shattered glass. Yuri and Natsuki both stared at Monika, alarmed. Sayori fidgeted nervously in her chair as she continued coloring, unsure of how to respond to her friends’ stunned silence. Beside him, Arin silently smirked, as if he had been expecting Monika to suggest a poetry performance, and for both Yuri and Natsuki to be opposed to the idea.  
  
  And honestly, he could see where this solution and this reaction could have been expected. After all, he reasoned, they really hadn’t really had a chance to do much else besides poetry sharing since he’d joined. And, while Yuri and Natsuki might have gotten more comfortable with sharing their writing with people in the club, sharing their work with complete strangers and people they only had a passing familiarity with was a completely different story.  
  
  “Performing?” Natsuki asked flatly.  
  
  “P-preforming?!” Yuri echoed, flustered as she absently clutched at her heart, “Um...M-Monika--?!”  
  
  “Yeah,” Monika continued, unfazed, “We’re going to be doing a poetry performance! Each of us are going to choose a poem to recite during the event. But the cool part is we’re going to let anyone else come up and recite poems, too!”  
  
  “So,” Arin asked, “Kind of like an Open Mic Night, or like those slam poetry sessions they do at coffee houses?”  
  
 “Exactly!” Monika nodded, “Sayori’s putting it on all the posters, in case anyone wants to prepare a head of time.”  
  
  Sayori, who had been silent until this point, giggled lightly as she held up a brightly colored poster with the the words “ ** _THE LITERATURE CLUB INVITES YOU TO A OPEN POETRY PERFORMANCE!_** : _(Guests are welcome and encouraged to bring and perform their own poems or stories)_ ” In bold, rainbow colored block letters.  
  
  Natsuki grumbled under her breath, suspiciously eyeing the poster, and Monika, with an arched eyebrow, as if the poster was an acquaintance she didn’t like that had just said something rude about her family.   
  
 “Are you kidding me?!” she asked, “You didn’t already start putting these up all over school, did you?”  
  
  “Eh,” Monika replied uncertainly, her confident smile wavering, “Well....I did. Do you really think it’s that bad of an idea?”  
  
  Although he sympathized with the other club member’s reluctance to share their poems with other people, he couldn’t help but also feel a bit bad for Monika. It wasn’t that her idea was a terrible one, he thought. For not having come up with the idea only less than a week, it was probably the easiest and best option for them to go with. And, he reasoned, she probably had simply thought that it sounded like a cool idea that everyone would have a lot of fun doing.  
  
 “N-no!” Natsuki replied reluctantly, “It’s not a bad idea, I guess. But, this isn’t what I signed up for! There’s no way that I’m going to be performing in front of a group of people like that!”  
  
 “I-I agree with Natsuki,” Yuri added, softly, “I could never in my life do something like that.”  
  
  Yuri shook her head in fear. From beside him, Dan could see Sayori’s posture slump defeated like a deflated balloon. She, too, must have been really looking forward to hearing everyone’s poems, and sharing her own. Next to her, Arin shot Dan an understanding glance, shrugging his shoulders. Although it seemed clear that Arin didn’t necessarily have any preference either way, part of him disliked seeing everyone being put in such an awkward position as well.  
  
  Perhaps, Dan thought, there was some sort of compromise that they could reach?   
  
  “Guys,” Sayori started, before Monika silenced her.  
  
  “No, Sayori,” Monika sighed, “I understand where they’re coming from. Remember, Natsuki and Yuri have never shared their poems with anyone until just a couple days ago. It’s a lot to ask them to suddenly ask them to pretend to be comfortable reciting their poems in a room full of strangers.If I were in their shoes, I certainly wouldn’t want someone asking that of me. I guess I kind of overlooked that. I’m sorry.”  
  
 Natsuki and Yuri said nothing. The pink haired girl’s arms crossed even more tightly around her chest, as she glared down at the floor, while her purple haired companion nervously tugged at her sleeves, also staring down at the same invisible spot on the floor.  
  
  “I get where Yuri and Natsuki are coming from, ” Arin said, “ But, there’s gotta be something we can do. I mean, it’d be pretty shitty of us to already have put up the posters promising a poetry performance, and then just not do it. If you think embarrassing ourselves would drive away future club members, I’m pretty sure making ourselves look like liars would be even worse. ”  
  
  “Right,” Monika agreed, the enthusiasm returning to her expression “We still should give it our best! We’re the only one’s responsible for the fate of this club. If we start the event, and we each put on a good performance, then we’ll certainly inspire others to do the same. And then, we can really show people what literature is all about!”  
  
  “Yeah!” Sayori cheered, “It’s about exploring your feelings, finding new horizons, and being intimate with yourself!”  
  
  “That’s right!” Monika nodded, “And it’s those reasons that we’re all in the club, today. Don’t you want to share that with others? To inspire them to find the same feelings that brought you here in the first place? I know you do. I know we all do. And if all that takes is standing in front of a bunch of people for two minutes and reciting a poem out loud, then I know that we can do it!”  
  
  Although Dan still had some of his own reservations about how well the idea of a poetry recital would go, he felt it almost impossible not to be swept up by Monika’s enthusiasm and determination. It was little wonder to him why she was the Literature Club President, he thought. The sheer force of her charisma alone was enough to convince almost anyone that the most harebrained scheme was worth the risk. And with Sayori’s adventurous and carefree personality by her side, the two were an almost unstoppable force.   
  
  However, neither of the two reluctant members of the club said anything in response, instead continuing to stare at the ground, locked into their own battles of mental indecisiveness. Dan sighed to himself as he opened his mouth to speak. It looked like he was going to have to step in and give his own opinion.  
  
  “I agree,” he said, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I understand that Natsuki and Yuri probably aren’t all that comfortable with it. But, at the same time, Arin kind of has a point. We already kind of  advertised it, so we can’t really back out, now. Besides, Sayori and Monika have been trying really hard to bring in new club members, so the least we should do it try to help out. I mean, look at it this way--everyone’s going to be too nervous about their own performances to really be all that worried about yours. And, there’s going be a lot of other stuff going on during the festival, so if we end up making ourselves looks stupid, then everyone’ll probably forget it about it pretty quickly, anyways.”  
  
   “Well, maybe, but...” Natsuki huffed, though the conviction in her voice faltered, “Ugh, Fine! I guess I’ll just have to get it over with.”  
  
  Sayori cheered as she threw her arms around the petite girl in a bear hug. Natsuki grumbled under her breath once more as she futilely tried to break free of the other girl’s relentless embrace. Monika sighed in relief as she flashed a grateful smile toward Dan. Dan nodded, acknowledging her silent gratitude  
  
  “Thanks, Natsuki,” Monika said, “What about you, Yuri?”  
  
  
  Yuri still remained quiet, even more determined to disappear through the floor as she felt the heat of several eyes bearing down upon her, awaiting her response. She looked back at everyone dejectedly as she absently fidgeted with a lock of her long, dark hair.   
  
  “I--I guess,” she sighed dejectedly, “I don’t really have a choice. I suppose if everyone is having fun....”  
  
  “Alright!” Sayori cheered, “That’s everyone! You’re the best, Yuri!”  
  
  Yuri sighed, looking as if she had just been asked to stand in front of a moving train, rather than read poetry in front of a group of stranger.   
  
  “This club,” she mumbled under her breath, “Is going to be the death of me.”  
  
  Much like with Sayori’s morbid declaration, he silently wished that Yuri wouldn’t make such claims, even if it was in a joking, metaphorical manner. He was sure that everything was going to be fine. After all, he reassured himself, aside from getting up on stage and potentially humiliating themselves in front of the entire school, what was the worst that could possibly happen?  
  
  Maybe he had spent far too much time around literature lately, but he couldn’t help instinctively want to kick himself in the face for even thinking that last bit. It was almost a law of nature, he reminded himself, that every time someone foolishly asked what was the worst that could happen, the universe was almost obligated to demonstrate the worst that could happen.  
  
  “Oh, Yuri!” Monika giggled, “Don’t be so dramatic! You’ll be fine. But, anyways, let’s move on to the main event. I want each of you to chose a poem of yours. We’re going to practice reciting them in front of each other. .”  
  
  What little agreement, albeit reluctant, that Monika had managed to gather from both Natsuki and Yuri was quickly washed away in a flash. The two looked once again, startled and alarmed.

  
  “Oh no,” Natsuki snapped, “No way!”  
  
  “Ah!” Yuri squeaked in a small voice, “This is all too sudden.”  
  
  This time, however, Monika seemed prepared with a counter-argument, as if she had been expecting them to react with surprise and refusal. Her confident grin remained unchanged as she rested a hand on her hip.   
  
  Admittedly, Dan wouldn’t have been surprised if this had been Monika’s plan the entire time. He remembered Sayori telling him to bring one of his notebooks of songs with him to the club meeting during their walk home the previous day. Either Sayori had been planning to convince him to sing something for everyone, or Monika had told her that they were going to do a practice poetry recital, and wanted him to be prepared.  
  
  “How are you going to be able to recite in front of other people,” She asked, “If you’re not able to recite your poem in front of the club?”  
  
   Yuri made a noise, trembling as she tugged at her hair like it was some sort of emergency panic button.   
  
  “Don’t worry,” Monika reassured her, “I’ll start everyone off to make everyone feel a little more comfortable.”  
  
  “Can I go next?!” Sayori asked, practically bouncing on the edge of her seat as she raised her hand, seemingly oblivious to the fact that, in her frantic waving, she was accidentally and repeatedly smacking Dan in the face.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika chuckled, “Of course! Now...let’s see.”  
  
  The brown haired girl flipped open her notebook as she approached the front of the classroom. She paused, her eyes resting on a particular poem nestled in the middle of the book’s lined pages. Silently, she nodded to herself, as if she were agreeing with herself that this was the perfect poem to share with everyone.   
  
  “The title of this poem is ” She began, “‘ _The Way They Fly_ ’”  
  
  Monika began reciting her poem. Her words felt graceful, like a feather floating in the breeze, as she confidently recited the words as if she’d done this a thousand times before. Her voice clear and her inflections pristine and deliberate, knowing exactly the amount of emphasis to bring each word to life. Dan felt as if she were some sort of mage weaving a spell, enthralling him in her mystical hold with her enchanted words. Was this something she’d done before, he wondered, or was she simply a natural when it came to public speaking?    
  
  He glanced around him. Everyone also seems entranced by Monika’s effortless performance. Sayori and Natsuki looked amazed, as if she’d never heard the Club President speak like this before. By contrast, Arin and Yuri listened to her with intense expressions that Dan didn’t understand.   
  
  Finally, Monika finished, leaving only a stunned silence to echo the last words of her poem. None of them were fully sure which one of them broke the silence first, but soon a thunderous applause. Monika sighed, smiling to herself as she returned to her seat.  
  
  “That was so good, Monika!” Sayori breathed in awe.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika giggled, “Thank you very much! I was just hoping to set a good example. Are you ready to go next, Sayori?”  
  
  Sayori nodded, starting to open her mouth to speak. However, she found herself cut off as Yuri swiftly jumped to her feet. The timidness in her eyes and her posture had vanished, filled instead with a fiery determination that Dan was sure that nobody in the club had ever seen her display before.  
  
  “I’ll go next,” she said.  
  
  “Oh!” Sayori gasped, “You’re really fired up all of a sudden, Yuri!”  
  
  Yuri clutched as sheet of paper between her hands as she approached the front of the classroom. Her delicate fingers shook as she clasped the paper, as if it were the only thing anchoring her to the ground at this point. She kept her head down as she walked, afraid that if she were to make eye contact with anyone in the club would break her resolve.   
  
  It was odd, Dan thought to himself. Just a moment ago, she had practically refused to do this. But, now she was up there, preparing to read as if she had never even refused in the first place. Why was she suddenly putting in so much effort?   
  
  “This poem,” she said anxiously, as she dared to look at everyone, “Is entitled ‘ _Afterimage of a Crimson Eye_ ’.”  
  
  Yuri’s voice trembled nervously, tripping over the first words of the poem. But, much like when she discussed literature, her words steadied as she relaxed. Her voice became clearer and stronger, more relaxed. As if she were possessed, her words became sharper, seeming more like they belonged to the voice of a fierce and confident woman, rather than the timid bookworm that she so often appeared to be.  The poem itself is full of twists and turns in tone and mood, that Yuri nailed with perfect timing and emotion.   
  
  He wondered if this perhaps a rare glimpse into Yuri’s true soul; a tiny peek of what she could potentially be, if she allowed herself to be freed from her self-made prison of shyness. Before he realized it, she’s finished, and once more everyone is stunned.   
  
  As the poem ended, Yuri awoke from her trance, as a furious pink blush painted her cheeks. Hurriedly, she sat down, burying her face in her hands, as Dan began clapping, followed quickly by everyone else. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to give Yuri the recognition that she deserved, but they had all been so caught off guard, that they didn’t have a moment to fully process that what they had witnessed had indeed just happened.  
  
  “Yuri,” Monika said, “That was really good! I knew you had it in you! Thank you for sharing.”  
  
  “Okay,” Sayori said, nearly leaping out of her chair as she skipped to the front of the classroom, “I guess it’s my turn now!”  
  
  She unfolded a small sheet of pale pink paper, that looked as if it had been taken out of her diary. Gently, she smoothed the page with one hand, trying to keep the creases from folding back in on themselves.  
  
 “This one’s called,” She spoke, “’ _My Meadow_ ’.”  
  
  She giggled at the end of her sentence. Covering her mouth, she tried to stifle a second nervous laugh before it could escape.

  
  “Sorry,” she apologized, “I giggled.”  
  
  She stood there, frozen with stage fright as she nervously twisted the edges of the paper in her hand. Like with Yuri’s sudden burst of confidence, Dan found Sayori’s sudden stage fright to be unusual. She had been so eager about reading her poem after Monika, and now she was starting to have second thoughts? Had the intensity of Yuri’s poem given her enough time to unnerve her?  
  
  “Eheheh,” she laughed again, “I’m sorry! This is just a lot harder than it looks.”  
  
  “Try not to think about it as reciting in front of other people,” Monika offered helpfully, “But rather as you reciting it to yourself in a mirror, or in your own head.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan added, “Remember to breathe, too. Sometimes, people get more nervous because they forget to breathe. Just remember to breathe, and you should be fine.”  
  
  “I see,” Sayori nodded, “Okay then,”  
  
  With a deep breath, Sayori began. Dan felt as if this poem were specifically made for her soft, gentle voice. Although the poem wasn’t as cheerful as Sayori herself was, it felt as if only she could perform this poem, he thought. Without her voice to guide the words and bring them to life, the poem was nothing more than flat, empty words on a sheet of paper. This poem was her, he thought, and she was the only one who could give it meaning.   
  
  He wondered if this is what Sayori meant when she said she liked his poems. Reading each other’s poems was like getting to reach deeper beyond the artificial masks and personas they unconsciously wore, and get to see a side of someone they thought they knew completely.   
  
  Sayori finished reading, and for a third time, applause filled the room. Sayori cheered,bouncing on the heels of her feet a little as she returned to her desk. Without thinking, Dan stuck his hand out for a high-five, to which Sayori excitedly returned.   
  
  “Good job, Sayori!” Dan said.  
  
  “Yay!” she replied, “Even Danny liked my poem! I guess that’s a good sign!”  
  
  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Dan raised a skeptical eyebrow. Sayori only winked slyly in response.  
  
  “It came out nicely, Sayori” Monika said, “The atmosphere of the poem fits you nicely. But, it might be that other poems might not work as well with that kind of delivery.”  
  
  “Eh?” Sayori blinked, confused, “What do you mean? I don’t really understand?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin added, “I thought her delivery was fine.”  
  
  “It was,” Monika explained hastily, “It’s just that I’ve read some poems that wouldn’t work as well with that sort of gentle delivery. They might need a little more force behind them, depending on what your reading.”  
  
  “Oh!” Sayori’s face brightened, “I get what you mean! That’s...well, I’ve been practicing that kind of thing. It’s just embarrassing to do it in front of everyone.”  
  
  “Then next time,” Monika said, her confident smile refusing to waver, “I’m going to pick a poem that challenges you a bit more. We don’t have much time before the festival, you know?”  
  
   “Okay,” Sayori nodded, “I’ll try to do my best next time.”  
  
    “Alright then,” Monika continued, “Now’s who’s next?”  
  
    Arin sighed to himself, tucking a loose lock of dark hair behind his ear as he stood up and crossed the room to the area that had been dedicated as the ‘performance zone’. Arin stood before the small crowd with a casual confidence that seemed almost natural. It was as if he were so used to the idea of performing in front of a larger crowd, that reading a poem in front of five people was almost nothing.   
  
    Dan wondered if Arin had possibly been part of the Drama Club back at his old school, and thus was already accustomed to putting on a show for other people.    
  
  “Okay, I guess I’ll go next,” he said, as he casually leaned against the chalkboard “So, I don’t really know how much everyone here knows about video games, but here’s a little bit I wrote about a little character named Link from a classic series called _The Legend of Zelda_. It’s called _The Hero of Rhyme_.  I know it’s not as deep as everyone else’s poems, but I hope you all still like it.”  
  
  There was a brief silence as Arin lowered his head, squaring his shoulders as he prepared himself. His fingers twitched as he counted out a beat in his head. Suddenly, a confident smirk crossed his lips as he slowly looked back up at the others, speaking the first lines of the poem.  
  
  Dan wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when Arin had described what he was reading, but he definitely wasn’t expecting Arin to launch into a beat-boxing rap.  His words were smooth as he swayed and shook his body to the beat, flowing in time perfectly in time with a beat and tune that only he could hear. His voice changed, shifting higher and lower and changing inflection as he mimicked the voices of other characters. Involuntarily, the other man felt his toes tapping in rhythm to the rapid beat, and wanting to sing along.   
  
  Arin breathed heavily as he finished abruptly, the poem just cutting off. A faint gleam of sweat dampened his forehead as he flashed Dan a small smile, as if silently asking for the other man’s approval of his performance. Dan nodded, giving Arin a thumbs up as the other man sat back down.   
  
  “Wow,” Monika said, impressed, “That was amazing, Arin! I didn’t know that you could rap like that!”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck“Well, It’s nothing really. It’s just a little hobby I do during my down-time.”  
  
  “I always thought,” Monika replied, “That the genre is fairly overlooked as a legitimate form of literature, even-though it’s pretty popular. I think it’s just because most of people’s exposure to it is the few songs that make it to the radio. I mean, it’s not my style of music, personally. But, I’ve always found songwriting a fascinating exercise. It takes a lot of hard work and knowledge of wordplay to fit a song to a beat, and still deliver a powerful message. It’d be interesting to see you try to tackle something a little deeper in that style.”  
  
  “Eh,” Arin shrugged, “Maybe in the future. I think I’ll stick to just saving some of the more serious stuff for my poems, for now.”  
  
  “Suit yourself,” Monika shrugged, “Anyways, Danny? Would you like to go next?”  
  
  Dan was about to speak, but was cut off by a squeaking growl from Natsuki. The tiny, pink haired girl’s eyes flashed, narrowing dangerously as she glared at Dan. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips, squaring her shoulders, as if she believed herself capable of matching his height.  
  
  “Hmph,” Natsuki said, “I’m going next. Like hell am I gonna let Danny’s stupid poem bring down the standard around here.”  
  
  “Natsuki!” Sayori exclaimed, “That was rude!”  
  
  “Nah,” Dan laughed, “It’s all cool. Knowing Natsuki, that’s probably the closest thing to a compliment she’d be willing to give me.”  
  
  Begrudgingly, Natsuki made her way to the front of the class. She seemed defensive, as if she were ready for the entire club to break out into a brawl at any moment.   
  
  “The poem is called,” she began, “It’s called----Why are you all staring at me?!”  
  
  “Because,” Monika replied, “You’re presenting?”  
  
  “Hmph,” Natsuki huffed, crossing her arms, “Anyways, the poem is called ‘ _Jump_ ’.”  
  
  Once Natsuki started her poem, the sour attitude that she typically wore like a suit of armor melted a little. While she still seemed a bit reluctant to actually be reading her poem, despite her instance that she perform, her poem had a certain rhythm and rhyme to it that seemed almost to be her trademarked style. When spoken aloud, and especially by Natsuki herself, it worked surprisingly well, making the words of the poem seem to flow better together when given some sort of vocal context. The words feel bouncy, jumping up and down like an excited child trying to get the attention of their parent to show them something interesting.   
  
  Another applause filled the air as Natsuki finished. As if she had found the entire poetry performance more of a chore than anything else, she huffed as she returned to her seat, crossing her arms once more.  
  
  “That wasn’t so bad,” Monika giggled, “Was it?”  
  
  “Easy for you to say,” Natsuki sneered, “You better not make me do that again. The only reason I did it was so that Danny didn’t think we were going easy on him, and he’d start slacking.”  
  
  “Ah well,” Monika asked, “Do you at least feel prepared enough to recite in front of other people?”  
  
  “I mean,” Natsuki said, “Doing it in front of other people will be way easier. I can put on whatever face I want for other people. But, when it’s just my friends? It’s just embarrassing?”  
  
  Silently, Dan couldn’t help but agree in a way. While he personally didn’t feel that way, he figured that it was likely that Natsuki probably felt like it was easier to perform in front of strangers, because she knew that they didn’t care what she thought. Even if she embarrassed herself, it wasn’t like she’d likely ever see them again, or that they’d remember. But her friends? She had to deal with them everyday. If she messed up, they’d never let her live it down.  
  
  But then, he thought, if they were really any sort of friends, they wouldn’t seriously tease her about something like that. Or at the very least, they’d be considerate enough to   stop if they saw that it was making her uncomfortable.  
  
  “Hmm,” Sayori said, “that’s a surprise, Natsuki! I think it’d be the other way around for me.”  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki replied dismissively, “That’s just how it is. So...”  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika giggled, attempting to get the conversation back on track, “In that case, I think that just leaves Danny as the only one left.”  
  
  Dan squirmed, feeling the contents of his stomach slosh uncomfortable inside him as he shakily made his way toward the front of the class. He dared not to look up at the several pairs of expectant eyes trained on him with laser focus as he flipped through his notebook of songs. In there, he found an particular song he thought might be interesting. He’d almost forgotten about it among the numerous other songs he’d written. It was one of his much older songs, and not one that he was necessarily thought was his best.   
  
  “Uhhh,” Dan began, his voice trembling slightly as he spoke, “So, this is one of my really old songs. It’s been a while since I actually sang this one, so let me know how it sounds. This one is called ‘ _Might Be Gone_ ’.”  
  
  Quietly, Dan begins to hummed to himself, trying to recall an ancient melody that had long since been lost in the shifting static of his other buzzing thoughts and ideas. Around him, his reality seemed to fade as he allowed himself again to slip into a daydream. Once more as his gentle voice sang into the silence, he imagined himself upon a stage. However, this time it was a different stage than before. Dingy, golden lights caught the haze of smoke that drifted through the darkened room. Eyes peered at him through the shadow, but this time far fewer in number than those in his last daydream.   
  
  And then, there was another voice, low and uncertain as they joined him. It was Arin’s voice, shakily singing along, not familiar enough with the words, but still knowing enough to allow Dan to lead. Their voices sang in a harmony, adding a layer of depth to the song that Dan had not quite felt the first time he’d sang it, but still felt right none the less.   
  
  How did Arin know this song? he wondered, trying to keep his heartbeat steady. He hadn’t even showed this one to Sayori, much less anyone else.   
  
  For a brief moment in time, it felt as if he and Arin were the only two beings in existence. For a fleeting moment, Dan felt as if he understood everything. The unspoken mysteries of the universe were no longer eternally out of his reach. They were there, hidden in the depths of Arin’s sorrowful, dark eyes, and that all he had to do was keep looking and they would reveal themselves to him. In his eyes, he would find himself.   
  
  But, unfortunately, the final notes of the song faded, and with it Dan’s daydream, leaving him back to how things were before. The secrets of the universe remaining just out of his reach, and forgotten once again as they fell through his cold hands like sand. Had it been a dream? Had he only imagined that he’d heard Arin singing a duet with him?

  Curiously, he shot a glance over at the other man, confirming that it was not his imagination.. Arin seemed overwhelmed, like he was going to pass out. His breathing was shallow and rapid as he stared at the curly haired man with wide, tear-filled eyes. His hair, normally fairly well kept, seemed frazzled, as part of the blonde streak in his hair having loosened form his pony tail. His hands trembled as he covered his mouth, as if he, too, were shocked at what he’d done.  
  
  
 “Arin?” Dan breathed, awed and concerned about his fellow club member.  
  
 “A-ah!” Arin gasped, his face flushing beet red as he hastily stood up, “I-I have to go---!”  
  
  Hurriedly, Arin darted out of the room, only stopping for the briefest of moments to scoop up his backpack before disappearing through the clubroom door, leaving only Dan and the girls to watch after him, each as equally confused and bewildered as Dan himself was at the moment.   
  
  At first, Dan felt as if he should have chased after Arin, knowing that the other man had probably retreated to the rooftop to calm himself down. At least he thought, he could have given Arin a chance to explain what happened, and possibly make sense of everything.  
  
  He gave a questioning look toward Monika, as if to silently ask her for permission to leave. The club president looked at him, shaking her head. There was a certain hardness in her jade eyes as she glared at him, as if wordlessly advising him not to do to something stupid. Whatever had bothered Arin, her expression silently said, was not something he should concern himself too much about it. Arin needed some time alone with his thoughts to calm down.   
  
  _Who are you, Arin?_ He wondered subconsciously, _Who are you really?_   
  
  He was being ridiculous, he almost laughed, despite himself. He knew who Arin was. And yet, he thought, like the others, there was so much more behind the transfer student that Dan wasn’t sure that he could safely say that he really, truly knew everything was to know about him.   
  
  Did the unspoken and likely tragic event in Arin’s past at his old school hold the key to the enigmatic transfer student? He wondered.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika giggled sweetly, “Well, in any case, now that we all have an idea of what it’s going to be like to perform, I want everyone to pick a poem and begin practicing for the festival. I’ll of course, be making pamphlets, so make sure you send me a copy of what you plan on performing.”  
  
  “Jeez,” Dan sighed, “In that case, I probably better pick something else, then.”  
  
  “That’s okay,” she assured him, “You don’t necessarily have to pick any of your own poems, though I would really encourage you to do so. I’m already pleasantly surprised by all the effort you’ve been putting into this club. It makes me really happy!”  
  
 “Well, ah,” Dan blushed, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck, “Thanks, I guess.”  
  
  Monika smiled once more as she turned toward the remaining club members.   
  
  “Okay everyone!” she said in her usual, clear, leader-like tone, “That’s all the time we have for today! I know the festival is coming up, but I still want everyone to write poems for tomorrow, as well. It’s been working out really nicely so far, and I want to continue that. We’ll finish the plans for the festival tomorrow, and we’ll have the weekend to prepare. Monday’s the big day!”  
  
 “I can’t wait!” Sayori cheered excitedly.   
  
 “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “This is going to be great.”  
  
  Yuri, who had been silent up until now, was rocking back and forth in her chair, repeating “I can do this” over and over again to herself, seemingly lost to the world around her.  
  
 “Whatever,” Natsuki scoffed, despite the tiny smirk that betrayed her enthusiasm, “I just can’t wait for this to be over with.”  
  
  With that, the meeting was dismissed, and the club members dispersed. This time, Dan did not hang around the club room afterwards, as he gathered his stuff. He wasn’t sure that he had the same enthusiasm about the event as either Sayori or Monika did, but he was certainly going to try his best, for the sake of the club. And for the sake of possibly impressing Monika.   
  
  “Ready to go, Sayori?” he asked.  
  
  Sayori nodded, grinning as she took his arm. From her desk, Natsuki smiled as she shoved her notebooks into her backpack.   
  
  “Look at you two,” she teased, “Always walking home together like that!”  
  
  “It’s kind of adorable isn’t it?” Monika added  
  
  Sayori giggled as Dan felt his face grow warm. He and Sayori were just friends, he thought. The only reason they walked home together was because they lived next door to each other. Sure, he enjoyed her company, but he didn’t see her in any other sense outside of just friends. Did he?  
  
  “Jeez, guys,” Dan sighed, rolling his eyes, “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”  
  
 ”It must be a little nice, though,” Yuri mumbled wistfully, “having someone to walk home with every day....”  
  
  Dan started to protest. How was he even supposed to respond to that? He wondered. Thankfully, Sayori gave him a look, reassuring him that he didn’t have to say anything. At least she seemed to understand that if someone were to mistakenly view them as a couple, then that was their business.   
  
  “Ah yeah,” Dan cleared his throat, “Anyways, we should probably be getting home now, anyways.”  
  
  With only a quick word of goodbye, the two left the clubroom, heading home in the light of the late afternoon. The sky above was painted orange as the trees and buildings cast long, thing shadows on the concrete below their feet as they walked in silence.   
  
  Although she had seemed fine when they’d left the clubroom, Dan couldn’t help but notice that Sayori was acting strangely quiet during their walk home. Her blue eyes, seeming almost muddied in the amber hue of the dying light, stared distantly at the world around her, seeing but not actually taking anything in.   
  
  He wanted to ask her what was on her mind, but he found his words halted by hesitation. She hadn’t been willing to discuss her problems with him earlier that day, he reminded himself, so what made him think that right now would be any different?   
  
  It was Sayori, however, that was the one to break the silence.  
  
  “Um, Danny,” she asked, “This might be kind of a weird question. So, um....let’s just say that, one day, Arin asked you to walk home with you?”  
  
  “Arin?” Dan almost laughed, “I kind of get the feeling he might secretly be scared of me or something."

  
  “Eheheh,” Sayori laughed weakly, “Okay, but, just hypothetically. What if he, or like Yuri or Natsuki asked you to walk home with them? What would you do?”  
  
  Dan quirked an perplexed eyebrow. What kind of question was that? He wondered. Had one of them or Monika told Sayori something? It wasn’t like any of them would have had any reason to walk home with him. As far as he knew, none of them even lived in this direction, so it didn’t make sense for them to walk home with him, anyways.   
  
 “I’d still walk home with you,” Dan admitted, “I mean, not just because we live next door to each other and everything. But, you’re my friend, Sayori. And, I know how much us walking home together makes you happy. I can’t just hurt you like that just because someone else wanted to walk home with me.”   
  
“You’re so silly, Danny,” she replied,giggling weakly “Sometimes you worry too much about me. The others would deserve it if they wanted to, So....”  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan said, gently patting her shoulder, “I’ve already made up my mind. Anyone who wanted to walk home with me has to respect the fact that you mean a lot to me.”  
  
  A small, sad smile crept across her lips as she stared down at her shoes. Quietly, she looked away, mumbling something under her breath, though her words were too soft-spoken for Dan to hear.  
  
  “Besides,” Dan added with a grin, “What’s the point of worrying about something that’s probably never going to happen?”  
  
  Sayori’s brow furrowed as she let the conversation trail off. Thick silence weighed down upon them, growing heavier with every step they drew closer to home. He couldn’t help but feel like such a small thing was a very odd thing to be so worried about.  
  
  But, he thought, perhaps it went deeper. He wondered if she feared, now that Dan had joined the Literature Club and was spending time with everyone, that it was going to cause the two of them to drift apart even further than before.   
  
  A pang of regret stabbed at his gut as he thought back on the past few days. Admittedly, the two hadn’t really spent much time alone, outside of walking home and sharing poems with each other. Although Sayori had said that she was happy that he was spending time with everyone, he wondered if maybe she was a little jealous?    
  
  He didn’t want them to grow apart, he told himself. But especially lately, it felt as if the Sayori he knew was barely even the same person that he remembered from his childhood. Silently he wondered if Sayori felt the same way about him. Like she thought that the man he was now was a stranger to her, and that the childhood friend she knew had been lost so long ago?   
  
  As he watched her disappear into the doorway of her own home, he wanted to reach out, to stop her and promise her that, whatever was going on, he wanted to fix this rift that had formed between them. But the words simply would not come, choked back by a heavy lump in his throat.   
  
  He thought to himself, standing outside of her house a few moments longer in the twilight. The school festival was Monday, he reminded himself. Wordlessly, he promised her that then he would spend time with her, and recapture the time they lost.  
  
  He silently prayed that he hadn’t made an empty promise he couldn’t keep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For anyone who might not be familiar, the three songs that were referenced in this chapter are actual songs that can be found online. Time Stand Still is by Rush, Hero of Rhyme is from Starbomb, and Might Be Gone was a previously unreleased track from The Northern Hues (People familiar with Game Grumps are likely somewhat familiar of the latter two songs, especially). I really highly encourage you to check these songs out, if you’re interested in it.


	4. Cracks in the Glass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! Again, thank you all again for continuing to read and enjoy this fic so far, and everyone who has left feedback/kudos on it! You're all awesome and I love you!

  It was almost a miracle that Dan had not fallen asleep during class the next day. Trying to keep his thoughts focused was about as pointless as trying to herd wandering cats. Every time he tried to focus, his thoughts would drift back to the previous night’s walk home.   
  
  A nagging itch once more clawed at the back of his mind like a wild animal desperately trying to escape the cage it had become trapped in. Cracks were starting to form on the surface of the smiling glass mask Sayori hid behind. With each hollow, forced laugh she made, the fissures deepened, stretching across the mask like an intricate spiderweb.   
  
  Was the stress of having to help plan for the festival starting to wear down on her a little more than usual? After all, he reasoned, with her being the Vice-President, she probably had a lot of extra responsibilities to deal with, like meeting with the Festival Committee and the Principal over space and approval for the event, and having to help with promotion to attract people to the event, among other things.   
  
  Or had this been something that had been lurking beneath her bubbly exterior for years, carefully hidden from the world out of fear? Had he just been too blind, too wrapped up in his own world to notice?  He tried to think again about them growing up, trying view things from a different point of view.   
  
  His memories felt hazy and disconnected, like old photographs viewed through an fuzzy, sepia-toned lens. His brain insisted that he was there, and that he remembered everything correctly, but his doubt and concern made him second-guess everything. Had they both changed so much that they’d become strangers to one another, he wondered? Or had they ever truly known one another?  
  
  Involuntarily, he thought of the others in the Literature Club. It felt strange, he thought, he felt as if he’d known everyone for weeks, rather than merely days. And yet, he still felt as if he knew very little about them. But then, he reasoned, Yuri and Natsuki especially seemed pretty guarded when it came to letting people know about them.   
  
  Everyone in the Literature Club, he thought, seemed trapped in their own metaphorical prisons, each of them beating at the walls of their cages, screaming into the void for someone to help them, for someone to understand them and know they were not alone.  
  
  Some of their cages were created by others, like Natsuki and home life. He remembered the way that he’d saw her withdraw at the mere mention of her father. He feared that things might have gone deeper than just a strict parent, and that she wore her sour nature like a suit of armor to protect her.  
  
  Others were trapped in prisons made of fear, uncertainty and secret shame, like Yuri’s.    
  
  Even as he discussed the _Portrait of Markov_ novel with her, he noticed the way that she kept second guessing herself. As Dan would ask questions about the  main character, the strange people she meets, and the dark, twisted nature of the experiments that created them, he could feel the violet haired girl’s gaze shift uncomfortably, as she would mumble out an apology before expounding on a tangent about the deeper themes of the particular scene.   
  
  It was as if she were apologizing for the main character’s behaviors and faults as if they were her own, and that much like the morally questionable actions of the main character in the later half of the novel, she feared that she would drive away Dan and those close to her, forcing them to hate and fear her.

  Dan wondered if maybe it was simply she was afraid that people would find her passion for the dark and macabre would brand her as the “scary chick”, making it more difficult for to make friends than it already was. Or was it a much darker interest that she kept hidden?    
  
  Did she feel that she had to keep herself quiet in order to restrain herself from accidentally spilling forth with her hidden, darker thoughts? And maybe the reason that that timidness faded when she talked about literature, and especially horror literature, was that she knew it was a topic close enough to her secret that she felt confident enough to talk about without losing control of herself?   
  
  And then there was Arin---trapped prison made of his own past regret and memories of things that he was unable to change. He remembered the fear that shone in the other man’s eyes when they’d stared at each other on the rooftop. They were the uncertain eyes of a hunted animal, terrified by an unseen presence that loomed over them, waiting for him to slip up. And again, he remembered their unintentional duet.  
  
  They’d found something in each other’s eyes, something that Dan couldn’t quite describe but shook the depths of his being all the same. They’d found answers to questions that neither had asked, and Dan didn’t even realize needed asking.   
  
  And yet, all the same it scared him. Much like the anxiety he felt every time he looked at Monika’s poems, it felt as if something within him didn’t want him to know this unspoken truth. Something too great and terrible for his mind to comprehend lurked within the depths of the void. It was safer for him to know stare into the void to long, lest the horrible truth be forever brunt into his skull as he succumbed to existential madness.  
  
  He shook his head, forcefully pushing the thoughts from his mind again before anxiety could grip onto his mind with it’s tiny claws again.   
  
  But still, he couldn’t help but wonder, if everyone in the Literature Club was indeed mentally trapped, then what about Monika and himself? What kind of metaphorical cages had the two resigned themselves to?   
  
  Maybe they were the exceptions, he thought. Monika seemed far too mature and well composed to not be able to effortlessly handle whatever life threw her way. As for himself? Well, he wasn’t entirely sure on that one.  
  
  But, he reminded himself as he tiredly stifled a yawn, maybe reading Yuri’s novel had simply put him in a particularly gloomy mood that day. He understood now why Yuri had been so interested in it. Even through the story was brief, the vivid imagery and descriptive metaphors painted haunting and surreal images in his mind that refused to fade long after he’d closed the book.   
  
  Although the unsettling, creeping dread crawled over his skin like bugs, morbid curiousity and determined desire kept his hands steady as he flipped to the next page. He had to know what would happen next; if things would get worse as the events became more unhinged and twisted, or if they would magically reverse themselves, working toward a more bittersweet, but overall happier ending for everyone.   
  
  Maybe it was just that he was the type of person who preferred to see the silver lining in everything, no matter how hopeless it seemed, but part of him wanted to see everyone get some sort of happy ending, even if it that joy still held the faint shade of sadness. But, unfortunately, the author of Yuri’s novel didn’t seem to share in that sentiment.   
  
  As he and Yuri had finished their discussion of the novel--or rather the two of them had run out of things to discuss and the purple haired girl had quickly retreated back to absorbing herself in another novel she’d brought with her--Dan noticed that, once again, not everyone was here.   
  
  A movement caught his perhprial vision, causing him to turn his head. Arin timidly stepped into the classroom, his broad figure withdrawn as if he were trying to make himself as small as possible to avoid being noticed by the others.  However, as his eyes furtively darted around, taking a mental count of those present, his posture relaxed once more, as he slipped into the desk beside Dan.  
  
  "Hey, Arin!” Dan greeted the other man with a cheerful wave, “Good to see you decided to come back. I was a little worried after what happened during the meeting yesterday.”  
  
   Arin blushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he gave a half hearted chuckle in response.  
  
  “Yeah, about that.” he replied, “Look---that probably freaked you out a bit, didn’t it?”

  “A little bit, yeah” Dan admitted, “I mean, I’ve never even showed that song to anyone, not even Sayori, much less actually performed it that I can think of. And then you’re just singing along like you’d heard it before? I dunno, it was a little scary.”  
  
  “I’m really sorry about that,” Arin apologized, “I guess I got a little too caught up in the moment and just sort of found myself singing along without even realizing it.”  
  
  “Nah,” Dan shrugged, “It’s cool, dude.”  
  
  Dan breathed a sigh of relief as he flashed the other man a weak grin. So it was just a coincidence, he thought. Looking back on it in hindsight, he should have realized how ridiculous this all must have seemed. Of course, he reminded himself, Arin hadn’t somehow already heard the song before. It wasn’t like he was actually psychic or anything.  
  
  Arin, however, didn’t seem quite as calmed by Dan’s reassurance. Only the faintest traces of a smile twitched at the corner of his lips as he stared ahead into the distance, refusing to meet Dan’s gaze.  
  
  “It’s just,” he explained, his voice soft, as if speaking more to himself than to anyone else, “Fuck, I dunno dude. It just, hearing you sing? It just reminded me of--”  
  
  He shook his head, sighing dejected to himself as he let the sentence hang unfinished in the air between them. Dan opened his mouth, wanting to ask what was going through the other man’s mind at that moment, but quickly decided against it.  
  
  “Whatever,” he continued, “It doesn’t matter. Look, the festival’s on Monday, right?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan replied, “I mean, I kind of wish they’d held off on it until like next Friday or something, so that everyone could enjoy the festival and kind of get like a technical three day weekend? Plus, the clubs would get a little more time to prepare for events and whatever. But then again, most of the other clubs didn’t wait until almost last minute to even decide to do anything in the first place.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin smirked, chuckling lightly, “But, seriously, dude; aren’t you a little bit nervous?”  
  
  “About our event?” Dan scoffed, “No way! Not any worse than usual stage fright, I guess. But, hey, if I’m ever gonna make it as a professional singer out in the real world, I just gotta learn to deal with that of pressure and nervousness, y’know? Why would I be afraid?”  
  
  “It’s not just the poetry reading,” Arin said, “It’s everything. It’s just, everything’s gonna change, man.”  
  
  Dan blinked, giving the other man a quizzical look. Honestly, he’d never really thought about it like that. But, then again he reasoned, if they did well enough with this poetry performance, there was a high possibility that more people would be interested in joining the Literature Club. They’d no longer be the quirky, little group any more; they’d have a real shot at being considered an legitimate club. With more people in the club, the entire club’s dynamic would shift dramatically. Dan just prayed that the shift would be toward something more fun and lively.   
  
  But, at the same time, he worried that this could end up meaning that the original club members started drifting away from each other. It already worried him that he felt he and Sayori were drifting apart, but he had barely had enough time to know the others. He didn’t want for them to accidentally drift away from him before he got a chance to actually be friends with them.   
  
  “Dan,” Arin asked, his voice quiet yet piercing through the other man’s clouded panic, “Promise me something?”  
  
  “Sure,” Dan replied, although uncertain, “What?”  
  
  “Promise me,” Arin said, “That whatever happens, whatever changes, promise me that you won’t forget who you are. Even if you forget about everything else. Even if you forget about Natsuki, Yuri, Sayori or Monika. Even if you forget about me. Promise me that you’ll still be you.”  
  
  The words hit Dan with the force of a train traveling at mach speed, knocking the wind out of him. His eyes widened as yet again found himself reflected in the dark pools of Arin’s pupils. His heart ached, stirring with a burning fire, as he yet again saw the hopeless, pleading sadness within those brown eyes.   
  
  Arin knew something. Those eyes alone told him that this promise went far deeper than just the festival. This was not the kind of promise that one could make lightly and not fully intend to keep.   
  
  _Please help me, Arin_!A little voice in the back of his mind cried, _You’ve been trying to tell me something all this time, haven’t you?! Please help me to understand._  
   
  Gently, Dan clasped Arin’s hands within his own, as he leaned closer, staring so deeply into his eyes that he was almost afraid that he’d fall through the watery void.

 “Only if,” he replied, “You promise me the same thing.”  
  
  Arin’s breath shuddered, though his eyes did not break from Dan’s meaningful stare. Solemnly, he nodded, squeezing the hand clasped around his own.   
  
  “I-I promise,” Arin whispered, “No matter what might happen.”  
  
  “Then I also promise,” Dan replied, “I promise to still be myself, no matter what happens. No matter what changes between us.”  
  
  The other man’s lips trembled, as he fought back glistening tears. Trembling fingers of Arin’s free hand delicately clasped brushed against the sleeve of Dan’s blazer. Fuzzy warmth, like the heat of a campfire, pooled in Dan’s stomach as his fingers flexed, kneading the skin of Arin’s hand with his slender fingers.   
  
  For a brief moment, he felt as if he were seeing Arin in a different light. For a moment, He’d never realized it before, he thought, but Arin was beautiful. It wasn’t just in the way that his lips parted into a grin, or the way his eyes twinkled like stars when he laughed, but something more.  
  
  There was just something about holding Arin’s hand that felt comfortable. He felt like a traveler who’d returned home from months traveling around the world.  
  
  Dan’s own lips quivered with the faintest tremor as he felt Arin’s hot, sweet breath on his face. He wanted nothing more than to close the tiny gap between them, to press his lips against the other man’s until they merged together into some singular, eternal entity lacking both beginning and end.   
  
  A gentle, but loud slamming and a sudden rush of cold air as the clubroom door swung open jolted the two from their hazy euphoria. Quickly, as if someone had doused him in a bucket of ice water, the burning warmth faded and Dan pulled away, blushing furiously as let go of Arin’s hand.   
  
  “Oh no,” Monika exclaimed, “I’m the last one here, again! I don’t believe it!”  
  
  Hurriedly, she bustled into the classroom, her arms once again laden with various books and disorderly papers tenuously stacked in a way that Dan was almost amazed she didn’t lose any of them as she ran down the hallway. Thankfully, she seemed to busy and caught up in trying to set her belongings on the desk, that she hadn’t seen either Dan’s flustered blush, or Arin’s grumpy glare.   
  
  “You were practicing piano again?” Yuri asked as she looked up from her book, “Between starting up this club, and taking up learning piano, you must have a lot of determination.”  
  
  “Well,” Monika giggled, “Maybe not determination. I guess ‘passion’ would be the right word? Remember that the club wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all of you, as well. And I’m really happy that you’re all willing to help out with the festival, too!”  
  
  Natsuki looked up from her manga, and grinned, practically bouncing on the heels of her feet as she stood up and skipped toward the others.  
  
  “It’s gonna be so much fun,” she said, “I can’t wait!”  
  
  Monika quirked an curious eyebrow as she exchanged a confused look with Dan. The curly haired man simply shrugged in response as he returned his own confused and bewildered look.  
  
  “Eh?” she asked, “Weren’t you just complaining about it yesterday, Natsuki?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Natsuki huffed, “I didn’t mean our part, obviously. I meant everything else! But it’s a whole day where we get to play and don’t have have to worry about stupid homework, and get to eat all sorts of really good food!”  
  
  Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but chuckle warmly at Natsuki’s enthusiasm toward the rest of the festival.

  
  “Heh,” he laughed, “You’re sounding a bit like Sayori there all of a sudden.”  
  
  Natsuki rolled her eyes, ignoring Dan’s observation as she continued to talk excitedly about the other events in the festival and the kinds of food that the other clubs would probably be making for their events.   
  
  “Monika,” the pink haired girl asked, “Don’t they usually do fried squid? I remember that someone made fried squid last year.”  
  
  “Squid?” Monika asked, arching an eyebrow, “That’s a pretty specific thing to look forward to.”  
  
  “Oh c’mon,” Natsuki teased with a grin, “You saying you don’t like squid or something? You, of all people?”  
  
  “Eh?” the other girl’s confusion deepened, not following the pink haired girl’s conversation was leading, “I never said I didn’t like it. Besides, what do you mean, ‘You of all people’?”  
  
  Natsuki’s smile widened into an almost Cheshire cat like grin as she rested her hands on her hips. She looked as if she had waited her entire life to be asked this one specific question, and she was going to make the best of this punchline.  
  
  “Because,” She said, “It’s in your name. Mon- _ika_.”  
  
  Now both Monika and Dan were hopelessly lost. Dan’s brow knitted in confusion as he tried to figure out exactly what Natsuki meat by “right in her name”. He assumed that it was probably some sort of pun that he was missing, due to being an English speaker.   
  
  “Eh?” Monika replied, folding her arms behind her back as she tilted her head slightly, perplexed, “That’s not how you say my name at all! Also, that joke makes no sense in translation.”  
  
  Now it was Natsuki’s turn to look as if Monika had just told a joke that no-one else fully understood. Translation? Dan wondered to himself, What did Monika mean by that? He started to ask, but found himself interrupted by Arin’s laugh.  
  
  “Dude,” Arin snarked, “Like any of this shit really makes sense when you think about it? Like, we live in Japan, but all of us speak perfect English for some reason? Like, I get why I would. I mean, Asagao’s an international private school or something. So, it’d make sense to say that I came from America when I enrolled or something. But what about everyone else? What about Dan? Like what are the odds that two completely non-Asian dudes both happen to be living in the same part of Japan, in the same year of high school, and and just happen to both be in the same club? That’s pretty weird, right?”  
  
  Dan bit his lip as he thought for a moment, a creeping sense of unease tingling up his spine as he mulled it over in his mind. That was a pretty good question, he thought. He was sure that he’d lived in Japan most of his life, and yet, he couldn’t recall either himself or Sayori speaking to each other in anything other than English. Then again, he reasoned, it was probably likely that his parents had moved here when he was very young. But, that still didn’t explain Sayori. And what of Monika, Yuri and Natsuki? How likely was it that six fluent English speakers all happened to go to the same school, and all happened to be in the same club together?  
  
  “And,” Arin continued, “There’s the fact that all of us are clearly at the age where we should have already graduated, or at least be seniors. But, outside of the fact that none of us are first years, I have literally no idea what year any of us are supposed to be in?”  
  
  Instinctively, Dan looked at Monika, as if he thought that she could possibly explain this. Although her smile never broke,electricity flashed in her eyes,as if silently warning Arin that he was walking on thin ice, and that continuing this line of conversation was a very dangerous thing to do.   
  
  Arin, glared defiantly at the Club President, assuring her that, while he agreed that now was not the time to bring up any sort of tension this close to the festival, it was definitely not the last time that something like this would be questioned.  
  
  Dan wondered why there was such fire in their eyes. Monika had only made an innocent joke, and Arin had only made a humorous observation. It hardly seemed like the kind of thing to get angry over.  
  
  “Ahahahaha’ Monika giggled, breaking the tension as she dismissively waved the tension aside, “Nevermind. Let’s just focus on our event for now, okay?”

  “Agreed,” Arin nodded, also sighing in relief, “We’ve still got a lot of stuff to take care of with that, right?”  
  
  Natsuki, although briefly puzzled, chuckled. It was as if she had not even witnessed the brief, but tense standoff between Arin and the Club President that had happened only moments ago.  
  
 “Eh, fine,” she shrugged, “Whatever. Besides, your reactions aren’t as fun as Sayori and Yuri’s anyways, Monika.”  
  
  Yuri shot an alarmed look toward the pink haired girl, who seemed happily oblivious of the reaction she had just caused in her fellow club member.  
  
 “E-excuse me?!” she exclaimed.  
  
  Dan looked between the group for a moment, observing something that he’d failed to notice before. Sayori, he noted, had been suspiciously absent from the conversation today. That seemed kind of unlike her, he thought Usually, she was always the first to jump right into the middle of a group discussion, to crack a joke or give some sort of encouraging words.

  
“Where’s Sayori, anyways?” he asked, more to himself than the others.  
  
  As his eyes scanned the tiny club room, he spotted her, sitting alone at her desk. The peach-haired girl’s expression seem blank as her hollow blue eyes stared down at nothing on her desk. It was more like someone had crafted a life-sized replica of his best friend and placed it in her usual desk, hoping nobody would notice.  
  
  Once more, creeping dread and muted panic dragged themselves to the forefront of his emotions. This was wrong, he thought as he silently pulled away from the group and walked over to her, it wasn’t like her to be this dejected and empty. She needed someone to talk to, he reasoned, and who better than a friend?   
  
  “Hey, Sayori,” he greeted her, “What’s up? You look a little down today, what’s wrong?”  
  
  Sayori didn’t even seem to notice as he waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention. Her eyes were clouded over in a gray haze, as if lost deep in thought as she slowly blinked, looking up at him. For a couple of seconds, she stared at him as if she didn’t recognize him before she slowly snapped back to reality.  
  
  “Oh,” She replied weakly, “Hey, Danny.”  
  
  “You were,” he replied, “Spacing out there for a moment.   
  
  “Ah,” she apologized sheepishly, “I’m sorry, Don’t mind me. You can go talk to everyone else.”  
  
  Dan wasn’t entirely convinced. Quietly, he sat down in the chair in front of her, turning it so that he was facing her. She winced, as if he’d slapped her across the face, rather than just sat down near her.   
  
  “Hey,” he asked, gently, “Is everything alright?”  
  
  “O-of course,” she replied, though her voice lacked the conviction to back up her claim, “Why wouldn’t it be?!”  
  
  “It’s just that you’ve seemed a little off the last few days,” Dan replied, “I’m just worried, that’s all I mean, with you being the Vice-President and all, that’s gotta be a lot of stress on you, right?”  
  
  Sayori nodded, frowning.   
  
  “You worry too much about me,” She said, “You really shouldn’t do that, Danny.”  
  
  “Can’t help, it,” Dan laughed weakly, “I’m just a caring, worrying best friend fool. Besides, if I were feeling down, you’d worry about me too.”  
  
  “Well,” Sayori said, forcing a painful smile, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine, see. Don’t let me distract you from having fun with everyone else.”  
  
  Dan sighed defeatedly. Even if she didn’t admit it, he thought, it was obvious that something was seriously bothering her. But, she was too worried or ashamed to admit it to anyone, especially Dan.  Reluctantly, he stood up, intending to go back to the group and leave Sayori alone with her thoughts. Just as he turned his back, he paused, looking over his shoulder at her.  
  
  “Sayori,” he said, “Just remember, if you ever need to talk to me about something, I’m here for you. Even if all you need me to do is listen, okay?”  
  
  The peach-haired girl said nothing as she continued to stare down at her desk with blank eyes. It was as if someone had flicked the “off” switch on her, as all the life and energy drained from her body.   
  
  He thought for a moment about trying to put it out of his mind, and go back to the conversation about the festival that the others were having. But, he noticed that that particular conversation had long since ended, and everyone had once more retreated into their usual corners.   
  
  As usual, Yuri had returned to her book, while Arin and Natsuki seemed absorbed in talking about some manga that they had both been reading. Monika seemed to be the only person who wasn’t currently deeply occupied with another task at the moment.   
  
  He felt like he should probably ask her about Sayori’s recent mood change. After all, she and Monika were pretty good friends, he reasoned. And they had been spending a lot of time together planning for the festival, that Monika would naturally have noticed if something was bothering Sayori.   
  
  Timidly, he approached her, trying to formulate the best way to bring up the topic to her without seeming to blunt about it. She smiled sweetly, looking up from her papers as she noticed him sitting down in front of her.  
  
  “Hi, Danny!” she replied, her voice dripping honey sweetness, “What’s up?”  
  
  “This might sound a little weird,” Dan began, “But, do you know if anything’s going on with Sayori, lately?”  
  
  “Anything going on with her?” Monika asked, “In what way do you mean?”  
  
  “I dunno,” Dan replied, “I might be reading too much into it, but Sayori’s seemed kind of downcast the last few days, I guess? I’m just worried if she’s feeling alright or not.”  
  
  “Oh?” she replied, folding her hands in front of her as she leaned forward, “You think so?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan continued, “You haven’t been pushing her too hard with the festival preparations and the club, have you?”  
  
  “Of course not!” Monika laughed dismissively “Sayori’s enthusiastic and dedicated about taking on responsibilities with the club, but I try to make sure that she doesn’t take on more than she can handle.”  
  
  Monika’s frown deepened as she peered across the room at Sayori, sitting alone at her desk. The other girl didn’t even acknowledge the attention, instead choosing to absently rub an eraser up and down her desk, leaving a trail of rubber flakes in it’s wake. With a sigh, Monika looked back at Dan with a concerned expression before continuing.  
  
  “Maybe there is something on her mind,” Monika admitted, “But, I’m surprised that I’m not the one asking you, Danny. You certainly would know her a lot better than I would.”  
  
  “Maybe,” Dan admitted, “But I can’t really recall her ever being like this. I mean, usually when she’s sad, she’ll talk to me about it. But, she’s been seeming kind of closed off, lately. I tried to ask her about it yesterday, and she was pretty dismissive about then, too. I don’t really know what to do, Monika. I’ve never been in this kind of situation with her before.”  
  
  Something cold and hard flashed in the Club President’s emerald eyes, and he felt face redden, self-conscious and ashamed that he’d even brought it up to her. This wasn’t her problem, he scolded himself. Whatever was going on was between Sayori and himself. And even then the ‘himself’ part was kind of questionable. Monika wasn’t there to deal with the personable problems of her other club members, and probably didn’t have time for that kind of mess, anyways.  
  
  “I’m sorry,” he apologized, quickly, “I know that this isn’t your problem. I just wanted to ask if you knew anything. I’ll just drop it, now.”  
  
  “No, no.” Monika countered, “It’s alright. It’s important to me, too.I mean, I’m also friends with her. And, I also care about the well-being of my club members, you know? Maybe I’ll try talking to her myself.”  
  
  “Eh?” Dan asked dubiously, crossing his arms, “You sure that’s a good idea? She seemed like she wanted to be left alone, to be honest.”  
  
  “Are you sure?” she asked, “Maybe she just has a hard time bringing it up with the person of interest?”  
  
  “Person of interest? What do you mean by that?”  
  
  What did Monika mean by ‘person of interest’? Curiously he glanced between Sayori and Monika. Person of Interest sounded more like something that someone would call the prime suspect in a murder investigation, he thought, not something that one would casually refer to their friend or crush as.   
  
  But then again, he wondered, had Sayori possibly developed a crush on him? Was her mood change because her thoughts were distracted with feelings of love and jealousy that she didn’t quite understand, or was there something more painful and sinister lurking underneath the surface?  
  
  “I mean,” Monika explained, “That maybe the thing on her mind is you, Danny.”  
  
  “Me?” Dan asked, “What makes you think that? I mean, Sayori and I are friends, I feel like if her feelings for me had changed, she’d at least feel comfortable enough to let me know, right?”  
  
  But was that even the truth? A small, nasty voice whispered in the back of his mind. Did Sayori still feel safe and confident enough to trust him with her secrets? Had he done something to hurt her without even realizing it?  
  
  “Well,” Monika continued, a faint pink blush painting her cheeks, “I probably shouldn’t say anything. But, she talks a lot about you, you know? Probably more than anything else, really. She’s been so much happier since you joined the club, you know? It’s like an extra light’s been turned on inside of her.”  
  
  Dan shook his head, doubtfully. That didn’t seem like it made any sense, he reasoned. In fact, it felt as if the opposite was more true. She seemed as if she’d slowly become more and more miserable and withdrawn ever since he’d joined. Even her usual goofy, sunshine attitude felt hollow, as if she were wearing it like a dented suit of armor, protecting herself from others seeing the sadness that lurked underneath.  
  
  “I don’t really see it,” he replied, “It’s not really that much different than it’s always been. At least, I don’t think so, anyways.”  
  
  Monika laughed, sending a chill down the curly haired man’s spine. Her laugh almost seemed mocking in its sweetness, as if she were making fun of him for being so naive and oblivious to something that was as obvious as daylight or that the sky was blue.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” She smiled, “You’re funny, Danny. Have you considered that maybe you’ve always seen her as cheerful, is because that’s just how she is around you?”  
  
  Dan frowned, stroking his chin, lost in thought. The more and more he thought about it, the more and more he heard Arin’s voice on the rooftop echoing in his mind. There was something off, he admitted. There had been something off for a long time. Not everything clicked right about his memories. Sayori had seemed too happy, watching him with awed interest and wonder. Had Sayori been slowly falling in love with him all this time, but he’d been too blind to notice?  
  
  “Ah!” Monika laughed nervously, “I’ve said too much.I’m sorry, what do I know, anyways? I didn’t mean to jump to conclusions. Please forget that I said that. Anyways, I’ll try to talk to her, so try not to worry about it, for now.”  
  
  Dan again said nothing, rendered speechless as the Club President flashed him a meaningful smile. Silently, the confident spark in her green eyes assured him she had everything under control and that she would fix everything. Though, Dan thought to himself as he watched her cross the room and approach Sayori’s desk, he wasn’t necessarily sure that this was the kind of thing that could be easily fixed.   
  
  Sighing, he sat down again, casting only the occasional worried glance in their direction. He knew that Sayori had told him not to worry about her, and to have fun with everyone. But, the buzzing, squirming sloshing in the pit of his stomach made him unable to focus on anything other than how strange she was acting today.   
  
  Lost in his thoughts, he aimless stood back up, wandering toward Arin and Natsuki. He hoped that he wasn’t interrupting them as he sat down next to them, idly listening to them comparing some magical girl animes, only one or two of which Dan was sure he’d had actually ever heard of before.  
  
  However, it seemed that their discussion was drawing to a close, as they both noticed the despondent man that had stealthily slipped into their circle while they weren’t looking.   
  
 “Hey, you,” Natsuki greeted him in a slightly irritated but friendly tone, “You gonna just sit there and eavesdrop on our conversation, or are you actually gonna say something?”  
  
  “Eh?” Dan blinked, slowly coming back to reality, “S-sorry. Didn’t mean to space out and make you worry.”  
  
  The pink haired girl glared, her cheeks darkening with a flustered crimson blush as she crossed her arms defensively.  
  
  “It’s not like I’m worried or anything,” she said, “I-I mean, It’s not like I care. It’s just that we don’t have a lot of time. If something’s bothering you, then you can just come out and say it, instead of being all weird and making everyone else look like jerks.I mean, assuming that you didn’t feel like talking about it or anything.”  
  
  Arin frowned, giving the other man a concerned look as he saw the troubled clouds forming in his brown eyes. Adjusting his glasses, he rested his free hand on Dan’s shoulder, giving it a gentle reassuring squeeze.  
  
  “Hey man,” he asked, “Natsuki’s right, you do look like something’s bothering you. What’s up?”  
  
  “Eheheh,” Dan laughed weakly, “It’s nothing really, I guess, and I probably shouldn’t be worrying myself about it. It’s just that I’m just thinking about Sayori, is all.”  
  
  The two reactions that his fellow club members gave in response could not have been further from opposite from one another. Natsuki’s jaw hung agape as her pink eyes widened in shock. She looked as if Dan had just called her ugly to her face, rather than simply expressed concern for another friend.  
  
  Arin’s eyes, meanwhile, narrowed dangerously, a deep grimace twisting his lips into a scowl as he stared past Dan, looking over his shoulder at Monika and Sayori, who were still talking too softly for anyone to hear. His fists clenched, knuckles turning white as they gripped the sides of the desk, threatening to snap the wooden tabletop under their pressure. He muttered a dark curse under his breath as he scrambled to regain a mask of composure and calmness.  
  
  “S-Sayori?!” Natsuki exclaimed, “T-thinking about her?!”  
  
  “N-no,” Dan spoke quickly, shaking his head, “Not like that. She’s just been acting a little off today. I’m just a little worried that something might have happened, is all”  
  
  Natsuki’s posture relaxed as she heaved a sigh of relief. Beside her, Arin’s expression, although softening, still seemed troubled as his eyes darted nervously between Dan and Sayori in the distance.   
  
  “Hey, ” Dan asked, “Sayori didn’t happen to tell either of you anything, did she? I asked her earlier, but she didn’t seem like she wanted to talk about it.”  
  
  “Well, first of all,” Nastsuki replied, “You should really work on your phrasing. People are gonna start thinking you’re in love with her or something if you say it like that. Second, I haven’t heard anything. And I doubt Yuri has either. I mean, we don’t really hang out together outside of the club. So, if any one heard anything, it’d probably be you. You’re her best friend, right? You’d be the first person she’d go to.”  
  
  Dan nodded, exchanging a worried look with Arin. The other man said nothing, his eyes dancing with a troubled light as he fidgeted with a loose strand of hair in front of his face. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but didn’t quite know if here was the right place to talk about it, or how to phrase it without coming off as sounding too strange, or worrying Dan any more than he already was.  
  
  “What about you, Arin?” Dan asked, “I mean, Sayori said that you two talked a lot. Maybe she told you something?”  
  
  “Honestly,” Arin replied, “Sayori and I never really talked about a whole lot besides you and discussing poems. But, now that you mention it, she has been seeming especially off the last few days.”  
  
  “Pfft,” Natsuki replied, crossing her arms, “People just have those days, y’know? You can’t always avoid it. If anything, she probably doesn’t want you to worry about her because it’s probably not imporant.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, nodding reluctantly, “That’s kind of what she said to me.”  
  
  Arin, on the other hand, didn’t seem as convinced that everything was nearly as okay as Natsuki seemd to suggest that it was. He crossed his arms, pensively stroking his chin as his brow furrowed.  
  
  “Yeah,” he replied “But, what if it isn’t this time? What if it’s something more serious?”  
  
  “Maybe,” Dan said finally, “But, Sayori didn’t want me worrying. Maybe I should respect her wishes.”  
  
  “Exactly,” Natsuki replied, “If she needs you to worry about her, then it’ll be a lot more obvious.”  
  
  Although they felt the conversation ended, Dan and Arin exchanged concerned looks with one another. As much as he agreed with Arin’s concern, he couldn’t help but feel that Natsuki had a point. Even it was something, Sayori clearly didn’t want him involved in her business. It was only fair for him to respect those wishes, even if his heart told him that it didn’t feel right.   
  
  A concerned, uncertain light glimmered reluctantly in both their eyes, as if both quietly wondering if their decision not to get involved at the moment was truly the right one, but both knowing that there was simply nothing that they could do at this point. It was up to Sayori to decide that she needed help. The only thing that Dan, or any of them could do at this point was patiently wait, and hope that she would eventually let them know what was happening.  
  
  Natsuki fiddled nervously with the book in her hands. Her eyes gazed down at the cover of the book, seeming too embarrassed to meet Dan’s own eyes.

  “She,” Natsuki asked quietly, “She really means a lot too you, doesn’t she?”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan laughed gently, “Don’t get the wrong idea about us. It’s just that we’ve been friends for a long time. It’s natural for you to worry about your friends, right? I mean, if it were either of you, or Yuri or Monika, I’d be worried about you guys, too. And, I mean, you were worried about me, Natsuki--”  
  
  Once more, Natsuki’s glared defensively, although the faintest traces of a smirk painting her lips betrayed her true emotions. Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but laugh, feeling as if some sense of normalcy was slowly starting to return to the atmosphere.  
  
  “I wasn’t worried!” she protested, “Now, unless you have any interest in listening to me and Arin’s discussion, take your gloominess somewhere else.”  
  
  “What she means is,” Arin added with a laugh, “Is that you’re welcome to chat with us.”

* * *

  However, there didn’t seem to be any time for the discussion as Monika, it seemed, had finally finished speaking to Sayori, and was now alerting everyone that it was time for them to share their poems.  
  
  Hurriedly, Dan walked back to his desk, searching for the poem he’d written today. While he definitely felt like this one was an overall improvement over his last two, he still admitted that there was something pretty useful about the “dartboard” technique, as he’d called it.   
  
  But, part of him felt like he might need to change up his style soon. After all, throwing stuff aimlessly and hoping for a combination of words and phrases that made some sort of cohesive sense together could only carry a person so far before it inevitability let them down. He just hoped that today’s poem wouldn’t be the one that the others considered as the point where the technique failed him.  
  
  Upon returning to the group, he noticed that everyone had once again scattered. Sayori, even though still seemed somewhat withdrawn and distracted, Monika had at least managed to coax her into mustering up the motivation to participate in the poetry sharing session.  
  
  At first, he considered sticking with his usual rotation of Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri, Monika and Arin in that order.  
  
  But, he thought, tiredly running his fingers through his hair, feeling a sharp pang of regret and sadness tug at his heart as he cast an uncertain look toward Sayori, he wasn’t sure that that he’d be able to keep himself from allowing the conversation to stray from poetry analysis.  
  
  Perhaps, he thought, it would be easier to start with Natsuki. After all, he thought with a sardonic smirk, might as well let the toughest critic look over his work, so that it’d be easier for him to handle everyone else’s critiques.  
  
  Without much of a word, Natsuki read over his poem. Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the words on the page and back up at him. Gradually, her face flushed many shades of pink as she held the poem clutched tightly in her shaking hands.   
  
  Well, Dan thought, this was certainly a new, but not entirely unexpected reaction. Now, the only question that remained was whether Natsuki had liked the poem, or if she thought it was complete, rage-inducing garbage.  
  
  “Geez,” he said, breaking the silence, “I figured it was probably bad, but not that bad.”  
  
  “Grrgh,” the pink haired girl growled, setting the paper down but not letting it go, “It’s not bad! It’s really good, okay?! There, I said it! I mean, it still got a bit of Yuri’s style to it, but it’s still really good. But that’s, like, the problem? You’re supposed to be bad at this. I’m supposed to be the one impressing you! Not the other way around!”  
  
  Dan laughed, which only caused Natsuki’s flustered blush to deepen as she whined again, huffing in annoyance.  
  
  “You’re trying,” Dan asked, “To impress me?”  
  
  “Obviously,” she replied defensively, “You think that I’d let you enjoy Yuri’s stupid writing more than mine?! Give me a break.”  
  
  “Hey,” he replied with a smile, “You don’t have to impress me, Natsuki. You know that I’m going to like what you wrote. You’re a really talented writer. I’d even argue that you’re just as talented as Yuri. Hell, you could probably be the next Shel Silverstein.”  
  
  “Well, I dunno who that is, ” Natsuki replied, “But, you like my poem more than Yuri’s, right?”  
  
  Dan started to speak tugging at the collar of his shirt, as he squirmed like a worm on a hot sidewalk under Natsuki’s piercing pink gaze. It wasn’t that he thought her poems were better than Yuri’s, or that he liked one of them any better than he liked the others.   
  
  It was more that he liked their poems equally, for different reasons. He loved the simplicity and emotion of Natsuki’s poems, just as much as he loved the imagery and metaphors of Yuri’s.   
  
  Part of him couldn’t help but wonder what kind of amazing work both Natsuki and Yuri could create if they were ever to overcome their different viewpoints and combined their strengths into a collaborative effort.   
  
  “Anyways,” Dan quickly replied “Why is it a bad that if I like both your and Yuri’s poems equally? Look at it this way---it’s kind of like how people can like cupcakes and ice cream, y’know? Like there’s some people who only like cupcakes, and there’s some people who only like ice cream. But then there’s people who think both are amazing. Just because someone likes cupcakes at one moment, doesn’t mean that they can’t like ice cream, too.”

  
Natsuki thought for a moment, opening her mouth to protest, but instead choosing to shrug.  
  
  “Yeah, yeah,” She replied, with a smirk“I guess I see your point. But still, I don’t get why you couldn’t just be bad at this. I’m supposed to impress you.”  
  
  “What’s wrong with me trying to impress you?”  
  
  “You’re trying,” Natsuki asked, her voice cracking, “To impress me?!”  
  
  The petite girl’s eyes widened once more, her mouth moving soundlessly like a goldfish gasping for air as she tried to protest, but found no reasonable objections immediately springing to mind. Vigorously, her eyes scanned the poem a third time. She stares at him as the poem slips out of her hand.fluttering to the floor.   
  
  Dan winced. That wasn’t exactly the case, he thought. While he had had her in mind while writing part of the poem, he wouldn’t say that his main goal had been solely to impress her, so much as write something that all of them could find at least one thing to enjoy.  
  
  “I-I have to go to the bathroom!” Natsuki stammered as she quickly flew out of the room in flustered run, leaving Dan behind, confused.   
  
  In his daze, he barely even noticed that Monika had approached him, with an equally confused look on her face.  
  
  “Hey, Danny?” she asked, pointing over her shoulder toward the door that Natsuki had just disappeared through, “Did you just do something to Natsuki? I just saw her rush out of the room. You didn’t do anything terrible, did you?”  
  
  “I dunno,” Dan joked, “I’m starting to think that my poem might have had a worse effect on her than I hoped. Either she’s really embarrassed to admit she liked it, or it was so bad that I’ve actually made her physically ill and she’s in the bathroom throwing up right now.”  
  
  Monika’s expression remains blank as she saw the paper laying on the floor. Swiftly, she picked it up and read through the it. Although her expression was otherwise unreadable, her smile never faded as she finished the poem.  
  
  “Ah,” She giggled, “You were trying to impress Natsuki with this poem, weren’t you?”  
  
  “Not exactly,” Dan admittedly, nervously rubbing the back of his neck as he stared down at his feet, “I was kind of trying to impress everyone, you know? I guess that it might have impressed her a little more than everyone else, maybe?”  
  
  “Well,” Monika replied, “I’m certainly impressed by it. You’ve really improved a lot since you joined. But all the same, I’m kind of amazed how you’ve somehow seemed to pick up on everyone’s styles and tastes so quickly. I mean, it’s technically only been a few days since you joined, hasn’t it? Are sure you aren’t getting some sort of outside help? You know that that’s cheating, right?”  
  
  Dan’s quirked a puzzled eyebrow. What did Monika mean by ‘cheating’ he wondered? How was it possible to cheat at writing a poem? It wasn’t like he’d intentionally looked up some sort of walkthrough to know exactly which words and ideas that would appeal to each of the club members.   
  
  “Cheating?” Dan asked, “I don’t know what you---”  
  
  “Ahahahahaha,” Monika laughed, suddenly, “Never mind. I’m just kidding! Anyways, how do you think Natsuki feels about you? You don’t have to answer that. It’s just something for you to think about.”  
  
  Before Dan could reply, Natsuki returned, scowling as she quickly snatched the poem from Monika’s hands.   
  
  “Did you read this, Monika?” Natsuki asked  
  
  “Yes,” Monika replied calmly, “I really liked it, you know”  
  
  “Well,” the pink haired girl snapped, “You should really just learn to not read other people’s stuff without asking.It’s really rude, and you have a bad habit of doing that!”  
  
  Monika seemed mildly taken aback, but relatively unperturbed by her petite club mates’ sudden abrasiveness. Her smile flickered, only so briefly that one would have easily missed it had they blinked or not been paying attention.   
  
  “Well,” Monika explained, “Danny wrote it for the meeting today. And, we’re supposed to share our poems with everyone, right?”  
  
  Natsuki froze, her expression stuck between an furious scowl and an annoyed grimace, as her protests became caught in her throat. Dan sighed, exasperated as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Natsuki had completely forgotten that they were supposed to be sharing poems right then, hadn’t she?  
  
  “Okay,” Natsuki sighed, hands once more planted on her hips, “Well, I think Danny’s done sharing his poem with everyone, anyways””  
  
  “Um,” Dan spoke, “I still technically haven’t shared it with anyone yet. You were kind of the first person I talked to.”  
  
  “Hmph,” she replied, “It’s not like anyone is gonna want to read this anyways. In fact, I think I’ll just hold on to this.”

  
    Monika’s smile turned amused, as she stared, unblinking, at the pink haired girl. It was the kind of knowing look that Dan remembered his parents using on him when they were trying to get him to confess to something they already knew that he was guilty of.  
  
  Natsuki glared, def squaring her shoulders as she met Monika’s gaze. However, Monika was unrelenting, and Natsuki quickly backed down.  
  
  “F-fine,” she said, handing the poem back, “Never mind, then.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan replied, helpfully, “If it’s any consolation, I could let you keep the poem after the meeting, today. That way, everyone can get a chance to read it”  
  
  Monika smiled, clapping her hands together, pleased that the crisis had been resolved fairly peacefully, as she walked away, returning to talk with the others.  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki continued as she watched Monika walk away, “I guess that you should read my poem, now. And no, I”m not going to let you keep it.”  
  
  Dan laughed as Natsuki winked slyly, handing him the paper. Carefully he read over the poem. Surprisingly he thought, today’s poem seemed far more upbeat and positive than the previous two. Part of him wondered if perhaps she had been taking more of Yuri’s advice to heart,after all. Although it was a simple poem about a beach, the beach in this case appeared to be a little less literal than the comparisons in her other poems.   
  
  Still, he admitted, the poems held the distinct, simplistic style that Natsuki favored so dearly.  
  
  “Natsuki,” Dan began, “This is definitely a lot more upbeat than your last two poems.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Natsuki replied,smirking as she shrugged, “I thought I was writing about negative stuff way too much, so I wanted to try something different for a change. Besides, the beach is awesome! Kind of hard to write anything negative about the beach.”  
  
  Dan smiled as he nodded in agreement. With the air of nervous tension that seemed to weigh especially heavy in the air today, like the sweltering humidity that always proceeded an oncoming storm, reading something that had a bit of a positive spin on it was a much needed change of pace.   
  
  “Heh,” Dan replied, “It’s funny, but it almost kind of reminded me of the first poem Arin shared with me.”  
  
  Natsuki made a face, sticking out her tongue as she put her hands on her hips, laughing.  
  
  “Ha,” she replied, “That poem? I could write better poems than that in my sleep! But still, I guess you got a point. He does sort of have that kind of personality, doesn’t he?”  
  
  Dan smirked as he caught the faint petal pink blush paint Natsuki’s cheeks as she looked away, briefly lost in thought. Dan cleared his throat, quickly drawing the petite girl’s focus back to the conversation at hand, before she could have a chance to get mad at him for catching her mind wander.  
  
  “So,” he continued, “You decided to write about the beach first and then came up with the message later?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Natsuki replied, launching into a rant “Well, after what happened yesterday, Yuri and I kind of realized we wrote about the same thing. She wanted to pick a topic and have us both write about it. Ugh, I mean, that sounds like something she would do, you know? I mean, I might have picked the beach, ‘cause it’s a simple topic, but you know she’s gonna try to impress me by getting all fancy with it. Well, it’s not like a care.”  
  
  “Sure,” Dan said sarcastically, rolling his eyes, “I can clearly see that you absolutely don’t care at all.”  
  
  “Whatever,” Natsuki grumbled, “I mean, I guess mine ended up being kind of metaphorical, too. B-but, there’s nothing wrong with doing that once in a while, I guess. At the very least, it was good practice.”  
  
  Dan nodded, smiling to himself as the discussion ended. So, he thought, it looked like, despite their differences, Yuri and Natsuki were starting to grow closer as friends after all. He wondered how long it would be before Natsuki felt comfortable enough to share her passion for manga with the other girl, or for Yuri to attempt to get Natsuki interested in horror novels.  
  
  Mentally, the made a note to remind himself later to recommend some horror manga to Natsuki, so that both she and Yuri might enjoy together.  
  


* * *

 

  Again, Dan found himself hovering nervously on the edges of the group. Admittedly, having shared his poem with someone other than Sayori first had kind of thrown him off his usual rhythm.   
  
  For a brief moment, he couldn’t remember which of the others he’d shown his poem to yet or not. Part of him thought that maybe he should try to share it with Sayori, now that they’d both had a little time to settle into things. And yet, a small voice in the back of his mind suggested that he still give her some time before deciding to talk to her.  
  
  He figured that the next logical choice, in that case, was Yuri. Thankfully, his conversation with Natsuki had prepared him for what kind of poem that Yuri had written today, so he wasn’t going into this completely blind.  
  
  Timidly, he approached Yuri, who smiled softly as he approached her. Although a long moment of silence hovered between them as he handed her his poem, the purple-haired girl’s nervousness and shyness seemed less apparent this time around.   
  
  He wondered if yesterday’s reading session with her, or today’s discussion of the book with her before the club had managed to make start to feel a little more relaxed being around him?  
  
  Quickly, however, a crimson blush painted her cheeks as she delicately clutched her heart, reading over the lines of the poem. Instinctively, Dan felt his stomach crawl. He knew that Natsuki had liked his poem, but he hadn’t expect for Yuri to also find it enjoyable as well. He just hoped that she didn’t also want to keep a copy of it for herself as well.  
  
  “Danny,” Yuri began, almost breathless, “Your writing has only improved in the past few days! I’m simply amazed. Every poem you’ve shown me has been nothing short of spectacular.”  
  
  “Okay,” Dan blushed, laughing nervously, “Now you’re just overselling it.”  
  
  “I’m serious,” she replied, “I can really feel the emotions in this poem. I’m a little envious, to be honest. I don’t think that it ever came to me this naturally.”  
  
  “Eh,” he shrugged, “I wouldn’t say ‘naturally’. I mean, remember that I was doing songwriting way before I was writing poems for this club.”  
  
  “Perhaps,” Yuri agreed, “But all the same, for a style that you perhaps might not be as accustomed to, your level of skill reflects that of someone with far more years of experience than I myself have. It’s fascinating, really.”  
  
  “Hey,” Dan reassured her, smiling kindly, “If it weren’t for you teaching me, I don’t think I would have improved nearly as much in the last few days as I have. So, thank you.”  
  
  “I-is that so?”  
  
  Yuri blushed, closing her eyes as a gentle smile crossed her lips. For a moment, Dan feared that the conversation was bound to grow awkwardly silent as Yuri buried herself under her own, albeit more blissful, thoughts.   
  
  “This feeling,” Yuri breathed, “I’m glad I got a chance to share my writing. I never thought that it would feel like this.”  
  
  “Honestly,” Dan replied, “I’m kind of surprised that you’ve never shared your poem with anyone before. It’s kind of a shame, really.  I mean, you’re an amazing writer, Yuri. Like a modern Edgar Allen Poe. More people deserve to read your work.”  
  
  A mouse-like squeak escaped the purple-haired girl’s lips as she buried her face in her hands. Dan could almost see the steam radiating from her face as she futilely tried to conceal her heated blush behind her long, delicate hands.    
  
  Perhaps he’d come off a little too strong? He wondered. But, even so, he thought, he had meant every word of it. Everyone in the club was amazingly talented, he believed. It was amazing that he’d even managed to keep up with their level of writing for this long.   
  
  A small part of him hoped that, once they all graduated and went their separate ways, either entering into college or taking their first steps into the real world, that none of them ever abandoned their passion for writing. They had talent, he believed, and seeing that kind of talent and passion be crushed by the cold harshness of the world was far too heartbreaking for him to want to think about.  
  
  “M-maybe,” Yuri stammered, once her bashfulness had subsided long enough to lend her her voice back, “But, it’s not like I had a choice.”  
  
 “What do you mean?”  
  
  Yuri sighed, smiling sadly as she stared at the curly haired man through her violet eyes. The loneliness in her eyes spoke volumes where words failed her. He wouldn’t understand, they told him. He had never had any problem making friends with those around him. People weren’t scared of him like they were of her.  He probably never knew what it felt like to be lonely the way she did.  
  
  But all the same, her eyes told him, maybe he did understand.  
  
  “Danny,” She confessed, “At lunchtime, I eat by myself. Did you know that? It’s a great time to find a quiet spot and do some reading.In fact, I always have some books with me. I guess you could say that I enjoy reading.”  
  
  She giggled sadly to herself before continuing.  
  
  “Well,” she said, “That’s one way to put it, anyways. But, books are so full of inspiring and amazing and inspiring people. People you want to fall in love with, or people you know would probably make a really good friend. Cheerful people who always put a smile on your face. Or deep thinkers and problem solvers, who discover the mysteries of life. So, when you look at it that way, I’m surrounded by friends every day, you know?”  
  
  Dan nodded. As much as it made sense to him that Yuri would find friends in fictional characters, it was still kind of heartbreaking to hear all the same. Part of him wished that Yuri didn’t close herself off to the world as much. There was a bright, beautiful mind that burned with the brilliance of a thousand suns underneath the layers of guarded shyness.   
  
  It was a shame that, like Natsuki, Yuri’s fear of judgment and ridicule kept her from unleashing that brilliance into the world.    
  
  “And, those friends don’t laugh at me,” Yuri continued, “They don’t tease me for spacing out all the time. They don’t make fun of me for my body type, and they don’t hate me for acting like a know-it-all.”  
  
  “People say that about you?” Dan asked.  
  
  “I’m not a know it all,” Yuri protested“In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I don’t know anything. I don’t know how to talk to people, I don’t know how to make people see me as normal. I don’t even know how to make myself happy! I-I have all these feelings, but all I can do with them is read and write. But, it wasn’t until now, until I started sharing it with everyone, and especially with you, that I really started to understand what I was missing all this time.”  
  
  Yuri’s gentle, soft voice cracked as her breath hitched. Tiny, delicate tears began to glimmer like miniature diamonds in the corners of her dark eyes. Had this been a couple of days ago, Dan realized, this would have been roughly the part where Yuri would have apologized for rambling. But, it seemed that Yuri no longer cared that she was rambling. This was something that she felt needed to be said.  
  
  “Thanks,” Dan replied, “But, I don’t feel like I’ve really done anything. I mean, you’re the one who decided to join the Literature Club. You’re the one who was brave enough to step out of your comfort zone and share your poems with everyone. If anything, I had nothing to do with it. That was all you.”  
  
  “No,” Yuri said firmly, but kindly, “That’s wrong, Danny. Just being patient and respectful? That’s really important to me, you know. I know that I can be a difficult person, Danny. I speak too slowly, I second-guess myself all the time,I read too deeply into things. But, every time I started to do that, you never treated me any differently than anyone else. It’s so rare that I ever feel comfortable with myself when I talk to people. That’s why, every time I talk to you, I feel really happy.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan replied, “I just treat you the way you deserve to be treated, you know? Like, if other people don’t see it that way, then screw them. Am I right? I mean, part of the reason I joined this club was me hoping I would make friends. And, I think, that it’s been a success so far.”  
  
  “What do you mean?” Yuri asked  
  
  “I mean,” Dan explained with a grin, “You can’t say that you don’t have any friends,when you’ve at least got me.”  
  
  “I-if you put it that way,” Yuri replied, absently playing with a lock of her long hair, “Then, y-yeah. I guess you’re right! We really are friends, aren’t we?”  
  
  Once more, Yuri hid her face in her hands. However, this time, Dan could swear that he caught a smile spreading across her thin lips as she did so.   
  
  “Do you,” Dan asked, bringing the topic back toward the critique session at hand, “Want to share your poem with me?”  
  
  Yuri said nothing, her face still buried in her hands as she sheepishly handed him her poem. Just as he had expected, Yuri’s poem gracefully painted a vivid image in his mind, he could almost feel the wet grains of sand between his feet, as the waves crashed around his body. He could almost smell the salted breath of the sea breeze as it gently caressed his cheek.  
  
  In her poem, he could feel the ancient, timeless powers of the sea, the earth and the sky, reminding him of how they were but a speck of sand in the face of nature’s both benevolent and destructive powers. And yet, even in that crushing inevitably, those grains of sand created their own meaning, created their own hope. They found their own, unique peace within the chaos.   
  
  At least that’s how he’d interpreted it.   
  
  “I understand,” Yuri spoke as he finished reading, “That the beach is kind of an inane topic to write about. And, it’s one that I wouldn’t usual choose if I were doing my usual style of writing. But, I did my best to take a more metaphorical approach to it.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “I heard that you and Natsuki decided to write about the same thing after yesterday.”  
  
  “Yes,”Yuri replied, “I thought that it would be interesting to compare how we both approached the subject, and in our writing styles and thought processes. Natsuki was the one who chose the beach as the topic. I feel like she might have picked something so simple so that she could show off. It’s not like I have a particular interest in her writing style, I just went with her request. But, I suppose that it’s not so bad to write about simple things every once in a while.”  
  
  “Hmm,” Dan smirked, “That’s interesting. Because Natsuki kind of said the same thing about your writing style too.”  
  
  “Heheheheh” Yuri giggled, “But all the same, it can kind of be refreshing to write something simple every so often. It really helps calm your thoughts.”  
  
  “Oh totally,” Dan agreed, “But, uh--if you talk to Natsuki, don’t tell her that I told you any of that. I’m pretty sure that she’d snap my neck with her bare hands if she caught me telling you that she was saying nice things about you.”  
  
  Yuri nodded, smiling to herself. 

* * *

  With yet another critique session finished, once more Dan’s panic and uncertainty returned. Yet again, he cast an apprehensive glance in Sayori’s direction. Like a car coasting on fumes, Sayori had once more withdrawn from the group, choosing again to sit quietly at her desk, staring absently at nothing.   
  
  Again, part of his heart pounded loudly in his ears, as emotions and logic wrestled within him. As much as every cell in his being screamed at him to talk to her, the logical, reasonable part of his mind again warned him that bothering her was about as ill-advised as driving a forklift through a museum of priceless artifacts.  
  
  Defeated, his logic won out again, and he turned his attention to Monika. Her emerald eyes seemed to radiate with a brilliant light, gradually growing brighter and brighter as he approached her.  
  
  “Hi, Danny!” she giggled, “Have you thought about what you want to perform for the festival?”  
  
  Dan laughed weakly as he nervously fidgeted with the tie around his neck. To be completely honest, he admitted, after the poetry recital practice the previous day, deciding what he was going to perform at the actual event hadn’t once even crossed his mind. He wasn’t sure why, but he somehow felt reluctant to tell Monika this, for fear of disappointing her.   
  
 “Eh,” he replied, “I haven’t really thought about it, honestly. I think I might just pull another song out of the old songbook. But, still not really sure which one I’m gonna do, yet.  
  
  He knew it was stupid, but part of him secretly feared that she would see through some charade that not even he was aware that he was putting on at the moment. She would believe that this was a sign that he was truly a fraud who’d only joined the Literature Club as an excuse to flirt with cute girls, rather than out of any actual interest in literature.  
  
  However, her saccharine smile did nothing to betray any underlying thoughts.

  
  “Well,” She replied, “Whatever you decide to do, I’m sure that it’ll be great!It’ll also make me happy to see. I know that I already read your poem earlier, but I would really like to read it again, just in case there was something I missed the last time I read it.”  
  
  Dan nodded as he gave Monika the poem. Once more, her usual unreadable expression masked her face as her eyes scanned the poem, picking apart every syllable and phrase that he had chosen. Again, the uncomfortable knot of paranoia clenched tightly around his gut, making him feel as if he were going to throw up. Although he knew that she had said that she’d liked the poem earlier, he wished that she’d give him some kind of sign that it’d held up as well upon a second reading.  
  
  “Well,” Monika said, handing back the poem, “It’s certainly still as good the second time as it is the first. It feels like your not only getting more comfortable trying a new style, but I’ve noticed that you’ve been kind of experimenting combining elements of everyone’s writing styles into something new and interesting.”  
  
  Dan shrugged, although he nodded in agreement. Admittedly, he was just kind of playing it by ear at this point, he thought. There were a lot of elements of everyone’s styles that he liked and that he wanted to try out in his own poems. That said, he wouldn’t really call any of these his ‘best’ works. Honestly, despite what everyone had told him, he still felt like his poems read as more of an amalgamation of everyone else’s voice, constantly shifting to meet the reflect the desires of the others, rather than himself.   
  
  “Honestly,” Monika continued, “It’s not a very easy thing to do. Sometimes, doing something like that can come off as a bit too much like it’s trying too hard to please others. But with you, it feels like you’ve managed to emulate the best of everyone’s styles and make something uniquely you. ”  
  
  She giggled lightly before she continued.  
  
 “That said,” she added, “It feels like you’ve been probably been picking up a lot from Arin.”  
  
 “You think?” Dan asked, “I mean, I don’t really see it. To be honest, it’s kind of hard to pin down what his style is.”  
  
 “True,” Monika agreed, “I feel that Arin has a lot of great ideas bouncing around in his head, but he has a bit of trouble finding his voice and putting it into words sometimes you know? His determination when it comes to trying to express an idea is something that I admire quite deeply. But sometimes I feel like, with all the ideas he has, it’s kind of easy for him to lose sight of what he truly wants to say.”  
  
  Dan bit his lip, silently thinking. While he could see where Monika was coming from, he didn’t quite feel that he completely agreed with her assessment of their fellow club member. In the few days that he’d known Arin, he hadn’t really once seen the other man do much that really fit anyone’s descriptions of him.  
Aside from a few rare moments here and there, he really hadn’t seen Arin act either as grumpy as Sayori had first described him, or as fickle as Monika seemed to be suggesting.    
  
  Then again, he reasoned, he’d only been in the club a few days, whereas everyone else had been around each other for a little longer. Perhaps, he thought, the more time he spent in the club, the more he’d start to see things in a new perspective.  
  
  "Still,” Dan replied, “He’s got a good heart, though. I mean, I don’t know how interested he is in writing poems and stuff, but you can kind of tell that like he really cares about everyone here. I dunno, it’s just like he’s got this aura about him that I can’t explain. I feel like I know him and I trust him, y’know?”  
  
  Again, a faint glimmer of something cold and sharp flashed underneath Monika’s eyes as she giggled. Her laughed seemed colder, and far more nervous than Dan had ever heard her sound before. Her body tensed, although still folding her arms behind her back, leaning slightly forward like she always did.    
  
  But then again, Dan thought as a shudder passed through him like an electric current, maybe it was just his imagination playing tricks on him, as usual.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika laughed, quickly changing the subject, “Well, in any case, do you want to read my poem? I feel that you might enjoy this one.”  
  
  Dan breathed as sigh of relief, slightly glad to be talking about something other than the other club members at the moment. Carefully, he took the paper, bracing himself for the overwhelming anxiety and panic to wash over him like crashing waves against the rocky shore.  
  
  And yet, this time, he felt none of those feelings. Sadness, paradoxically both as empty as air, and heavy as the densest of lead, weighed down on the words scrawled across the page in Monika’s elegant handwriting. Although no words particular evoked this, he couldn’t help but feel strong connotations to the color gray.  
  
  Monika smiled as he looked back at her. The sweetness had faded from her lips, replaced with quiet, reserved understanding. Maybe he was reading too deeply into it, but he felt as if this poem secretly encapsulated some unknown truth about her being. She was both the drifting feather, victim to the whims of a powerful force, and the mysterious woman in control of the fate of the feather.   
  
 There was no hope, the poem read, There was no meaning.   
  
 There was only existence.  
  
“Monika,” Dan breathed, momentarily stunned as he tried to calm his emotions, “This is really good! I’m sorry I can’t really say a lot more, now. I’m just stunned, is all.”  
  
  The brown haired girl’s eyes lit up, as if Dan’s simple praise were like a breath of life, awakening her frozen, slumbering soul. The sweetness and light seemed to gradually return to her smile, warmed by the heat of her heart.  
  
  “You know,” Monika said, “I feel that learning and looking for answers are the sort of things that give life meaning, Not to be too philosophical or anything, but it was kind of something on my mind, so I decided to write about it.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “I kind of get those kinds of thoughts every once in a while, too. Like, y’know, like there’s a lot of mysteries out there in the world, and while it’s just human nature to want to grow and learn more, what if there gets a point where we run out of stuff to know and discover? Then what happens?”  
  
 “Indeed,” Monika agreed, “It’s almost kind of paradoxical, don’t you think. Like, maybe the meaning of life is that we’re not supposed to know everything, y’know? Because if we knew everything, then life would lose all meaning? ”  
  
 "I dunno,” Dan replied, “Maybe, but then again, just because someone knows everything, it doesn’t really mean they understand everything. So, in that way, there’s always going to be something that’s a mystery to us. We’ve just gotta work on making our own meanings out of life, y’know?”  
  
  “You say,” Monika said, “Like you believe the universe isn’t finite..”  
  
  “I don’t believe that everything’s always limited,” Dan explained, “Sometimes, option A or B might both not be what you want. But, sometimes you just gotta go ‘fuck this’, and pick a hidden option C or D that you might not have even thought about at first.”  
  
  Monika nodded, her expression doubtful as she listened to Dan’s philosophy on life. A dark, troubled look clouded her downcast eyes as she folded her arms in front of her, pensively staring down at her chest. However, much like any brief flashes of darker emotions that danced across her beauftiul, elegant face, passed quickly, once again disguised by a placid grin.  
  
  “Maybe,” she sighed, “I personally don’t know if I see it that way. But, it’s still a nice way to view things.”  
  
  Dan said nothing as they let the conversation drift away into silence. Although he felt as if their discussion of the meanings behind Monika’s poem had run it’s course, and had veered somewhat off topic in the process, part of him was reluctant to actually end the conversation with her and move on to the next person.  
  
  “Hey,” Dan said, “This might just be a kind of weird observation. But, I’ve noticed that everyone in the club seems to prefer writing about sad stuff more than stuff that’s happy. Like, even some of the stuff Arin’s written for the club, even if it seems a little more upbeat and hopeful, still seems to skewer slightly a bit toward the downside of things.”  
  
  “Well of course,” Monika explained with a laugh, “Are you surprised? If everything was okay, we wouldn’t really have anything to write about, would we?”  
  
  “I dunno,” he shook his head, “I mean, writing doesn’t always have to be about sad stuff. There’s poems that are about happy things, too.”  
  
  “That’s true,” she replied, “But, I feel like it’s easier to write stuff that has a stronger effect on you. It’s easier to write about sad things because it’s easier to feel negative emotions more strongly? Humans aren’t two dimensional creatures. I think that you would know that better than anyone else.”  
  
    The curly haired man cocked his head to the side, unable to fully comprehend Monika’s statement. Her words seemed very pointed, he thought, putting special emphasis on the last part of the sentence. What did she mean by that, he wondered, feeling a lump of panic well up in his throat. His heart beat faster in his chest with unexplained panic and fear, as if he were on the edge of a rollercoaster peering dangerously over a steep hill, as Monika’s eyes pierced deeply through his soul.   
  
  Why did he let himself get this nervous around pretty girls? He cursed himself as the feeling passed, leaving him numb but once more able to breathe. Or was it just this way with Monika?  Surely she’d just misspoken again and that she hadn’t meant that statement to sound as odd as it did.  
  
  “Don’t you,” Dan asked, “mean ‘one dimensional’?”  
  
  Again, Monika laughed nervously, covering her mouth with her flawless hands as she blushed a faint shade of embarrassed pink..   
  
  “Ah!” she exclaimed, “That’s what I meant! I get that expression mixed up all the time! Anyways, here’s Monika’s ‘Writing Tip of the Day!’”  
  
  She cleared her throat, assuming a firm, but pleasant voice and pose that reminded Dan of a spokeswoman trying to talk up some sort of unbelievable offer for some so-called amazing product in an infomercial on TV.  
  
  “Are you ever too shy to share something because you’re afraid you’re writing’s not good?” she said cheerfully, “It can be really disheartening to get a lukewarm response to something you put a lot of effort into. While, it’s always better to write for yourself as your main audience, one thing that can help is finding other people who enjoy writing and reading. There are lots of places, both online and in the community, where people can meet and share their passion for writing. If you find other people who are passionate about it, then sharing becomes a lot easier! Because, they’ll want to know what went into it, what is good, and things you could use work on! It’s much more encouraging that way, and it’ll make you want to continue improving. The thing is, that you have to be willing to have an open mind. But, if your truly passionate about it, then having an open mind shouldn’t be that hard to do. Well, that’s my advice for the day. Thanks for listening!”

* * *

  Although the faint note of worry for Sayori still played it’s discordant melody in his mind, the lightened mood that Monika’s advice and chipper demeanor had put him in had muffled the note, allowing him to move on to Arin’s critique.  
  
  The other man, once again, seemed lost in thought, staring out the window as he barely noticed Dan taking a seat in front of him. His ears perked up at the gentle scraping of Dan’s chair across the floor, but he did not turn his eyes away from the transparent glass.  
  
  Dan’s eyes followed the bigger man’s gaze. Just beyond the walls of the school, fluffy clouds, as grey as the jackets they wore with their uniforms, blotted out the blue sky. Although he couldn’t feel it inside the classroom, he could almost taste the sticky humidity hanging thick in the still air like a curtain. Unconsciously, he raked his fingers through the frazzled poof of chestnut curls tied up at the base of his neck by only a rubbed band, knowing that this heat was not going to be kind to his hair.   
  
  “Hey, Arin,” he asked, “Whatcha looking at?”  
  
  Arin jumped, jolted from his melancholic gaze as he noticed the new presence that now occupied the previously empty space beside him. Defensively, his body tensed, like a tiger baring it’s fangs and preparing to strike. Dan himself yelped, reflexively twitching to curl up into a ball on the floor, like a terrified mouse. However, neither were able to complete their action, as Arin recognized that the person before him was not a threat.  
  
  “Oh, dude,” Arin apologized, “Sorry! Guess I’m a little jumpy, right now. Didn’t mean to scare you.”  
  
  “Dude, it’s cool,” Dan reassured him, as he allowed his body to uncurl slightly, “I mean, I did kind of sneak up on you while you were zoning out there.”  
  
  “Heh,” Arin gave a half-hearted smirk, rubbing the back of his neck, “I guess you did. Whatever, I guess that the weather today’s kind of got me feeling a bit weird. It’s like the gravity in here is just a little off, you know?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “Like it feels like everything’s got like an electric charge that it’s holding back, and like it just feels like even the lightest tap of something is gonna set everything off. I wonder if maybe that’s what’s got Sayori acting so weird today.”  
  
  The other man bit his lip, arching an eyebrow as he cast a dubious look between the curly haired man and the girl across the room. Immediately, Dan felt a vein in his forehead twitch as he gritted his teeth. Was Arin really looking at him like he was denser than a box of rocks? he asked himself as he tried to steady his breathing. It wasn’t his fault that he wasn’t picking up on what apparently was so obvious to everyone else. It wasn’t his fault that, every time he’d tried to ask someone what was wrong, they’d dismissively wave him away.   
  
  But then, he sighed, it wasn’t anyone else’s fault, either. He knew they meant well, and that whatever was bothering them couldn’t have been an easy subject to approach. But, there was that part of him that wanted nothing more than to help people, to pick them up out of their slump and do whatever he could make them feel better.   
  
  It felt like a thousand razor sharp nails piercing through his body when he saw his friends hurting and suffering, and knowing there was nothing he could do about it.  
  
  “Look,” Arin said, “I’m getting the feeling that it’s not just the weather that’s been getting her down. I just feel like she might need someone she can trust right now.”  
  
  “Are you saying,” Dan asked, probably a bit more sharply than he meant, “That you think she can’t trust me? Like, I know that we’re not as close as we used to be, but I don’t want her to ever feel like she’s unsafe around me.”  
  
  “N-no!” Arin replied, “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant--look, it’s not easy to explain. She does need you, Dan. She needs you to be there for her, even if that means just listening and letting her tell you.”  
  
  Dan sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. He knew that he had said earlier that he wanted to respect Sayori’s refusal to push the issue further, but there was a part of him that just couldn’t help but act somewhat like a mother hen caring after her young when it came to her.   
  
  It wasn’t that he thought she was helpless. Quite the opposite, in fact. It was just that they’d grown up together so long that he’d accidentally developed the same sort of protective ‘big brother’ instincts that he had for his actual younger sister.   
  
  Honestly, he kind of was starting to feel the same way when it came to everyone else in the Literature Club, too. It was like, they were a pack of traveling wolves, all brought together by a common passion and a need for companionship that they simply were unable to obtain anywhere else. He knew that each of them were more than capable of handling whatever hardships they faced, but he also felt like dealing with those problems was a lot easier knowing that they had at least four or five other people who had their back.  
  
  “Anyways,” Arin continued, “We should probably get things moving along here and read each other’s poems.”  
  
  Dan nodded, giving one more uncertain glance toward Sayori before exchanging his poem with Arin. Dan’s brow furrowed, troubled as he read through Arin’s poem, a cold sense of dread rising up within him, chilling him to the bone as he read the words of the poem he had ominously titled “Drowning”.  
  
 _- **Drowning** -_  
  
 _Glowing, you slipped through my careless fingers._  
  
 _Precious sapphire, a beacon of light, drowning in the endless sea._  
  
 _Falling_  
  
 _Falling, I dive after you._  
  
 _You glimmer before me. Scared, Angry_  
  
 _Hopeful._  
  
 _This is your fault, you tell me._  
  
  
  
 _Endless void, spinning, spiraling chaos binds my arms._  
  
 _A rush of white noise roaring in my ears_  
  
 _Arctic chill filling my lungs, warping me from the inside out with its needles._  
  
 _I am ice._  
  
 _Only the fading glimmer of you reminds me why I'm here, and what I used to be._  
  
 _But that too, will soon be lost by the sea, Forever just out of reach._  
  
  
  
 _This was my fault._  
  
  
  
Dan inhaled a sharp breath, fighting back freshly made tears stinging the corners of his eyes.

  _Fuck_ , he cursed to himself,  hastily wiping away the tears with the sleeve of his jacket before Arin could look up from his poem and catch him, _Why am I crying?!_

  
  The mood must really have been off worse than he’d thought, lately. Even Arin seemed to have a hard time trying to bring a shred of optimism into his poem today, he noted as he looked back down at the poem.   
  
  He shivered, casting a panicked glance once more at Sayori, and then another at Arin. Maybe it was once again that his thoughts were strangely preoccupied with his friend’s current mood, but he couldn’t help but feel there was something about the hopeless desperation of the speaker that Dan related to.   
  
  It was just that feeling of trying, and failing. It felt like no matter what they did, they’d only just find themselves being pulled into a void, feeling like they were unable to do much more than watch, all the while feeling like everyone was secretly blaming them for letting it happen.  
  
  But then, he thought, maybe he was simply projecting. As much as it felt like he was sounding like Yuri when she talked about literature, he couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps this poem, and the previous two, were somehow connected to one another, like a play told out of order and entirely through subtext?   
  
  Maybe these poems were about the circumstances that lead to him transferring from Asagao Academy? Or was there something much deeper behind these poems?  
  
  “So,” Arin spoke first, breaking the silence, “This is pretty good, Dan! I gotta admit, you’ve really made something pretty interesting out of this style. Like, I’ll admit, when you first started experimenting with this style, I was kind of worried that it was going to look like a garbled mess that tried to go too many directions at once. But, dude, like, I’m really fucking surprised.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, grinning “Not bad for just throwing shit at a dartboard, huh?”  
  
 “True,” the other man said, “But then again, you’ve been writing songs and shit for, like, decades now, right? So you kind of have an basic idea of some of the more complicated tricks of the trade, I guess? So, I guess that I really shouldn’t have been that worried, y’know?”  
  
  “Eh,” Dan shrugged, “I mean, there’s a lot of stuff that goes into this kind of stuff, y’know? Like, it’s kind of a little bit about the technical side of writing, and the emotion that gets put into it. Like, anyone could write a song about some ridiculous topic, like jerking off or something. But, it kind of takes a lot to actually make it like funny or sad or whatever.”  
  
  Arin nodded, agreeing. Dan took a deep, shuddering breathe as he readied himself to discuss Arin’s poem.  
  
  “So, yeah,” he began, “I couldn’t help but notice that your poem was a little,uh, darker than normal? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I thought it was good. I mean, it’s almost kind of funny in a way?”  
  
  “What do you mean?”  
  
  “Well,” Dan explained, “Everyone else kind of writes about stuff with a negative spin, your stuff usually is a little more optimistic? But, like today, it’s kind of felt like everyone’s been flipped upside down, and now Natsuki and Yuri are writing the more upbeat stuff, and your kind of the one writing the gloomy stuff?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin sighed, “I dunno, I guess I kind of had a nightmare that left me in kind of a weird head space. I just needed to get it down on paper.”  
  
  “This is probably gonna sound stupid,” Dan replied, “But what was your dream about?”

  The other man laughed humorlessly as he once more cast a distant stare out the window, his mind seemingly drifting away beyond the brick walls bordering the school yard. Absently, Arin’s hand ghosted over his wrists, fidgeting with a circular charm on a black, string bracelet that Dan had somehow never noticed the other man wearing until now.

  
“Eh,” Arin sighed, “Pretty much exactly what I wrote about. Only, like, I’m trying to save---”  
  
  He gasped,abruptly cutting himself off, allowing only a strangled cry to escape his lips. His face paled a deathly shade of white as his fingers trembled, slowly lowering from their restrictive hold they had over his mouth. His brown eyes glistened, moist with shining tears that refused to fall.   
  
  “Look,” Arin said sharply, despite his quivering voice, “It’s kind of personal. Believe me, if I could tell you right now, I would.”  
  
  Although Dan said nothing, he couldn’t help but feel the itch of mild irritation pulsing in his veins. Once more, he felt like everyone was treating him like a child, dismissively being told to go play in the other room, while his parent’s discussed some matter they deemed too serious or upsetting for him to handle.

* * *

  The discussion with Arin had crawled to a standstill, leaving Dan feeling as if he’d walked out of that conversation knowing less than he had walking in. As he remembered that he had still not yet talked to Sayori, he could no longer talk himself out of talking to her.

  
_Just try to keep on topic_ , he thought to himself as he nervously approached her. Yet again, he felt as if he had somehow become invisible as she failed to even react to him gently nudging her shoulder to get her attention.

  
  “Hey, Sayori,” he said, “I don’t want to bother you, but we should probably read each others poems.”  
  
  Sayori blinked as if half-awake. She stared at him with as if she didn’t recognize him; as if he were a stranger that had wandered up to her and started talking to her. A shudder ran down his spine, suddenly making him feel self-conscious as he saw himself reflected the windows of empty sky that stared back at him.  
  
  “Oh,” she said, her voice hollow as she listlessly took his paper, “I guess you’re right.”  
  
  Her eyes lazily drifted over the paper, seemingly not reading or focused on the poem itself. A troubled, downcast frown painted her lips as she bit her lip. Once again, Dan wanted to ask her if everything was alright, but decided to wait to give her the opportunity to bring it up herself.   
  
  “Hmm,” she said, handing the poem back to him, but continuing to stare down at her desk, “It’s nice, I guess.”  
  
  “C’mon,” Dan asked, trying to lighten the mood a little, “You can tell me that it’s bad. I mean, this is me your talking to after all, you can tell me anything.”  
  
  Sayori winced, recoiling slightly as if he had physically slapped her across the face. He wasn’t sure why it was bothering him so much, but he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache as he watched her curl in on herself, becoming so small and helpless, like a frightened rabbit.   
  
  “Y-you don’t need to worry about what I think,” she mumbled, “You probably wrote this for someone else, anyways.”  
  
  “I didn’t write this,” Dan protested, “for anyone specifically.”  
  
  Sayori chuckled, though the hurt and pain hidden behind her eyes told him that she had not necessarily actually found any humor in the situation. Weakly, she ruffled her peach-colored hair, lightly jostling the cherry red hairbow resting atop it.  
  
  “Maybe,” she sighed, “But that’s not really what I meant, though. But, it’s okay though, you’re making new friends. And that’s good, that’s what I wanted to happen.”  
  
  The last lines were spoken more as a question, as if she wasn’t entirely sure that this was what she truly wanted. Had he been correct in his hypothesis from the previous night? Was Sayori’s sudden mood change indeed caused by some newly awakened feelings of jealousy that she perhaps was unsure of how to deal with?  
  
  “It makes me happy,” Sayori said, trying to convince herself of her own words, “And you’re happy too, right? In this club?”  
  
  “Of course I am,” Dan replied, “I mean, if it weren’t for you convincing me to join, then I never would have had the chance to learn new things about writing, or get to hang out and make friends with awesome people. And yes, you are definitely included in that list of awesome people, Sayori.”  
  
  Dan sighed before he continued. This wasn’t going to be easy he thought, his heart beating like a drum in his chest as he readied himself for the words he was about to say. As much as he wished that they could just focus on the poem, he knew that that simply was not going to happen.   
  
  But still, he thought, he could tell that she needed some small reassurance that her efforts to convince him to join had not been a mistake, and that they were still as much friends as they had ever been.   
  
  “Sayori,” he said, “I know that it hasn’t really seemed like we’ve had much time to be together since I joined. And, I know that, as much as you say that it makes you happy that I’m making new friends, I know that it’s probably hurting at the same time. You’re worried that we’re drifting apart, and that with me being friends with everyone else, I might end up leaving you behind in the dust.”  
  
  Carefully, as not to startle her, he leaned in closer. Brown earth met blue sky as their eyes met. Although her breath hitched, and every cell in her entire being seemed to visibly be wishing not to stare at the other man, Sayori’s gaze did not break.   
  
  “But, listen to me,” He said in a firm, but kind tone, “None of that is going to change our friendship. You’re still my friend, Sayori, and I care way too much about you to just push you out of my life because someone else came along. Even if we grow up and end up being completely different people with our own lives, we could always just start again. No matter what, Sayori, I still want us to be friends. I don’t want to lose you.”  
  
  Sayori gasped, covering her mouth as she looked away. A troubled, perplexed look clouded her face as she stared down at her shoes. Words that Dan could not hear were mumbled with a disbelieving breath. Although she tried to quickly plaster a weak, unconvincing smile on her face, he could tell that she was holding back tears.  
  
  “Is something wrong?” he asked, “Did I say something wrong?”  
  
  “N-no!” Sayori replied quickly, shaking her head, “It’s just…I’m glad that you’re happy. It makes me happy, too. I’m just a little tired today, that’s all. Don’t worry about me. Um, I’m gonna go home a little bit early, today okay? If Monika asks, tell her that I wasn’t feeling too well, okay?”  
  
  “Sure,” Dan replied, “Just tell me if you need anything.”  
  
  “I will,” Sayori said as she stood up.

  
The burning ache of paranoia and unspoken fear once more punched at his heart like an iron fist as he watched Sayori dreamily walk away, humming a melancholy tune to herself as she disappeared outside the doorway.

* * *

  Every fiber of his being told him that he shouldn’t have let her leave. Or at the very least, he reasoned, he should have followed her and made sure that she got home safely. And yet, he felt as if he were immobilized, unable to do anything more than watch and worry as she left, lost to the world of her own disquieting thoughts and secret sadness.  
  
  “Okay, people!” Monika’s voice rang, jolting Dan out of his mood like an alarm, “I think that we’re done sharing poems for today! Why don’t we start figuring out---”  
  
  Dan made puzzled face as he and the remaining club members gathered near Monika’s desk for the wrap-up of the meeting. That seemed odd, he thought to himself, didn’t Monika usually say something different when she called for the ending of the meetings? Quickly, he glanced over at the others, wondering if they too found this change of phrasing to be unusual and offputting.  
  
  Judging by the mildly bewildered expressions that the others were giving each other, he sighed in relief as he confirmed that he was in fact, not the only one who noticed. Good, he thought to himself, at least that didn’t mean that he was going crazy.  
  
  “Hold on a second,” Natsuki interrupted, “Is it just me or did you say something weird just now?”  
  
  Monika arched a confused eyebrow, quirking her head just sightly to the side, staring at the pink-haired girl like she had just spontaneously grown a second head. However, Natsuki seemed unperturbed as she continued, hands firmly planted on her hips as she spoke.   
  
  Beside her, Yuri nodded in agreement, her violet eyes narrowed in confusion. Nervously, she played with her hair, twisting it between her fingers like she was performing some personal protection ritual to shield her from the strange aura within the room at that moment.  
  
  “Something about it,” Yuri admitted, “Did seem a bit unusual.”  
  
  Arin, meanwhile, seemed to shift uncomfortably in his seat, his gaze unable to stay focused on any one person for too long. A faint beads of sweat moistened pale skin as he adjusted his tie, fanning himself against the uncomfortably still, humid air in the room.  
  
  “That’s right,” Yuri continued, “You deviated from your usual catchphrase when addressing the club.”  
  
  Nervously, Monika giggled, though the faint twitch of the muscles in her cheek seemed to betray a sort of panicked nervousness that Dan had never quite seen in her before.  
  
  “Catchphrase?” She laughed, “I don’t have a catchphrase.”  
  
  “You don’t?” Arin smirked, “I thought it was ‘Okay, Everyone!’. I mean, that’s what you usually say at the end of meetings, right?”  
  
  “Jeez,” Natsuki grumbled, crossing her arms as she looked around the room, sourly, “Why is the mood so weird today? Look, even Yuri isn’t immune to it,”  
  
  Yuri said nothing, her fidgeting fingers instead only moving faster as she desperately tugged at her hair, trying more frantically to shrug off the odd vibes floating like a bad stench in the room.  
  
  “Probably could just be the humidity in the air today,” Arin replied, “ I mean, it looks like there’s probably gonna be a storm or something in the next few days.”  
  
  “Stagnating air,” Yuri explained, having managed to find her voice again “Is common foreshadowing that something bad is going to happen.”  
  
  A cold feeling, as if he were suddenly falling through a hole in the floor that had opened up beneath his feet, rose through Dan’s stomach, making him feel slightly queasy. Hesitantly, he shot a look at Arin, hoping to find some sort of hidden reassurance in his friend, only to find no such comfort existed.   
  
  “Maybe in your books,” Dan said, “But, this isn’t a horror novel. The only thing different is that Sayori isn’t here.”  
  
  The purple haired girl gasped, looking around the room as she finally noticed the absence of their usually cheerful and bouncy club mate. It was weird, Dan thought to himself, just how much the mere lack of Sayori’s presence seemed to throw everything off in club. It was as if Sayori’s soul purpose in the club was to keep peace and order within the club, and without her there.   
  
  Without her there, the club felt like a table with a leg that was significantly shorter than the others. It was still somewhat functional by all means, but far too unstable to sustain itself for very long.  
  
  “Sayori always helps lighten the mood, doesn’t she?” Monika sighed,“It’s almost like everyone’s balance is thrown off when she’s not around.”  
  
  “Where the heck did she run off to, anyways?” Natsuki asked, “I saw her leave a few minutes ago, but I thought she was just going to pee.”  
  
  “Natsuki!” Yuri scolded, “That’s not a very lady-like or appropriate thing to say. Please show some decency.”

  
  “Oh, c’mon,” Natsuki rolled her eyes, “You were thinking it, too.”  
  
  “Actaully,” Dan explained, “She said that she wasn’t feeling too well, so she went home a little early.”  
  
  Beside him, Arin let out a strangled gasp. The other man’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, flashing with icy warning as he looked between Monika and the empty door. Monika, noticing his glare, simply shrugged innocently, as if to say that she didn’t know what had made Sayori leave early, either.   
  
  And why would either of them know, anyways? Dan wondered. Unless Monika had said something to Sayori that had affected her mood even more than normal, or if Sayori had told either of them something, then it wasn’t like either of them knew what was going on in her mind at the moment.   
  
  It wasn’t like either of them were actually mind readers, he thought.  
  
  “Is that so?” Yuri asked, concerned, “I hope that she starts to feel better soon.”

  “Huh,” Natsuki quirked an skeptical eyebrow, “Out of all the times you don’t decide to walk home with her, you pick the one time she’s not feeling well? So much for you two being all lovey-dovey.”  
  
  The curly haired man felt his face grow hot as a crimson blush blossomed across his narrow face. Why did everyone assume that he and Sayori were a couple? He wondered. Yes, he cared about her, probably more deeply than a normal friend would. But, that didn’t mean that he was in love with her in that way, he reasoned, or that she loved him in that way. Neither of them saw each other that way, did they?  
  
  “Please don’t misunderstand my friendship with Sayori,” Dan replied, coughing loudly, “Besides, she’s kind of been avoiding me today, so I didn’t really want to force it.”  
  
  Yuri made a curious cooing noise, becoming almost owl-like as she titled her head in an interested, intrigued way. The mood must have seriously been off today, Dan sighed. Normally, the interpersonal relationships of her fellow classmates and club members didn’t seem to hold any interest to the shy young woman. And yet, here she was looking at him as if he had just accidentally just shared some juicy gossip with everyone.  
  
  “Calm down, guys,” Monika intervened, “I talked to Sayori earlier, everything’s fine.”  
  
  “What did she say?” Dan asked, although he was almost positive that Monika wasn’t about to share any sort of details of a private conversation with him.   
  
  “Anyways,” Monika said brightly, deftly changing the subject, “We need still need to figure out the rest of the festival preparations. So, let’s decide what everyone will be doing this weekend.”  
  
  Despite his disappointment that everyone seemed reluctant to allow him in the loop of the status of his friend’s current well-being, he breathed a sigh of relief as Monika had changed the subject. Part of him worried that that particular line of conversation would only lead them head-first down a rabbit hole of topics that he wasn’t entirely sure that he was able to fully handle, given the current mood of the club.  
  
  “I already know what I’m doing!” Natsuki replied, smiling.  
  
  “That’s right,” Monika added, “You’ll be making cupcakes. But, we’re going to need a lot of them, and with a lot of different flavors too! Can you handle that by yourself, Natsuki?”  
  
  “Challenge accepted!” she replied, giving the Club President as thumbs up and a confident wink.  
  
  “As for me,” Monika continued, “Sayori and I will be designing and assembling the pamphlets for the poetry performance. And as for Yuri…..”  
  
  She trailed off, chuckling nervously as Yuri watched her with expectant eyes, waiting for what the Club President had decided for her to do. For the once,  
  
  “Yuri,” she continued, thinking, “Yuri can…Ah…..um…”  
  
  Pleadingly, she looked to Dan, Arin and Natsuki, hoping that one of them could possibly come up with something that Yuri would be good at doing to contribute to the festival preparations. The other three, unfortunately, seemed to likewise be at a loss as well.  
  
  “Can you,” Monika whispered to Dan, “help me come up with something for Yuri?”  
  
  “I-I’m useless,” Yuri moaned to herself, burying her face in her hands, seeming to want to sink through the floor and vanish.  
  
  “N-no!” Monika replied quickly, shaking her head, “That’s not it at all! Your the most talented person here, actually.”  
  
  Natsuki pouted, glaring at Monika with a look more sour than lemon juice dunked in acid. How dare Monika imply that she wasn’t also just as talented as someone like Yuri, or anyone else in the club for that matter.   
  
  “Oh dear,” Monika sighed to herself, realizing what she’d accidentally said.  
  
  “Wow,” Dan observed, “I never really thought I gave her that much credit, but I can tell things are a lot harder on you when Sayori’s not around. She’s a pretty good Vice-President, isn’t she?”  
  
  “Ah,” Monika agreed, nodding, “That may be the case, but if I can’t be a leader on my own, I can’t grow as a person!”  
  
  “Hey,” Arin countered, “There’s nothing wrong with having someone to help you when you need it. I mean, what kind of bullshit is it that says we have to be one hundred percent self-reliant and suffer through everything alone, huh?”

  The other man exchanged a meaningful glance with Dan, who could only nod in silent agreement, his mind too distracted with other thoughts to fully allow himself to read any deeper into his words than necessary.   
  
  Yet, a faint spark of irritation, ignited by the still lingering, albeit fading, mood in the air, irked him. Who were any of them to be talking about suffering alone through stuff, he wondered, when they seemed almost adamant not to allow Dan to know even the slightest thing that might have helped him know how to help Sayori?   
  
  Dan sighed, once more trying to calm his agitated nerves. It wasn’t Arin’s fault, he reminded himself, again. Arin probably knew just as little as he did when it came to Sayori’s troubling mindset lately. And, if anything, Arin and the others were probably just as concerned about her as Dan himself was.  
  
  Monika paused, thinking for a moment. Instantly,as if someone had flipped a switch inside of her, her eyes lit up as an idea formulated in her mind.  
  
  “Ah!” She began, “Yuri, you have very beautiful handwriting! So, you should make banners and decorations for our event! You know, to help set the atmosphere!”  
  
  Yuri blinked, also thinking for a moment as she considered the idea of putting her calligraphy skills to use for creating decorations. On one hand, her nervousness seemed to suggest, she wasn’t quite sure if this wasn’t perhaps too big and important of a task for her to be handling. But, on the other hand, at least she’d be proving herself not to be useless by contributing to the club’s event.  
  
  “Atmosphere?” Yuri began, “Um, about that….I love atmosphere!”  
  
  Yet again, the timid uncertainty that shadowed Yuri’s movements slipped away, as she stared at her desk, her mind racing as a million ideas zipped through it in rapid succession.   
  
  “Your mind’s already racing I see,” Monika smiled warmly, “That’s great! But, anyways, that still leaves Dan and Arin with stuff to do.”  
  
  “I was thinking,” Arin replied, “That me and Dan could probably handle the music or something? Like just coming up with like a tracklist of ambient music to play while everyone’s performing?”  
  
  Monika bit her lip, frowning slightly as she shook her head. Maybe he was just imagining things, but Dan couldn’t help but sense the slightest hint of jealously and alarm dance behind her eyes for a brief fraction of a second.  
  
  “Um,” she said, “I think that music would probably fall under atmosphere, which would be Yuri’s job. But, then again, both Yuri and Natsuki have some pretty heavy tasks, so maybe it would be a good idea to split you two up and have you both help them out.”  
  
  She glanced at Dan, giving him a coy, teasing wink as she smiled sweetly at him. Under his breath, Arin grumbled, crossing his arms grumpily in silent protest, but unable to formulate a good argument as to why it wouldn’t be to the club’s advantage to have them both lending a hand to the other two club members.  
  
  “Of course,” she joked, “Danny could always help me, as well. I would be really appreciative of that.”  
  
  Dan felt his face grow warm once more. Was Monika really serious about suggesting that he spend the weekend with her? He wondered. Getting to spend time all alone with the most beautiful, popular girl in their class? Had he been anyone else in the school, he would have considered this to be the ultimate dream.   
  
  And part of him would agree with that as well. But all the same, there was something about it that made him strangely unsettled. Surely she had plenty of other people in her life that were far more interesting and sophisticated than him. What made him so special that Monika would even consider wanting to spend any time alone with him?  
  
  “Ah,” Yuri said, bringing the subject back on topic, “I suppose that I wouldn’t mind having a little bit of help.”  
  
  “Well,” Natuski added, “Even if either of you don’t know how to bake, there’s always some dirty work I can give you. It’s not like Monika’s gonna give me a choice. Besides, it wouldn’t be fair for the boys to be sitting on their butts while the girls do all the hard work, anyways.”  
  
  “Can’t argue with that,” Arin smirked, “But, the real question is, who’s helping out with what? I mean, I’d be cool with helping out either of you, but it’s really up to Dan who he wants to work with.”  
  
  “Well,” Yuri replied, “Considering that Arin and Natsuki seem to have more amicable relationship with one another, I believe that it would only be fair that Danny help me. After all, Danny might not like to be around if you only make him out to be a nuisance.”  
  
  “Hold on,” Natsuki countered sharply, “I never said that! Besides, Arin’s way more skilled with art, anyways! He’d be better helping you making a few easy decorations! It just sounds like you’re making excuses for Danny to----”  
  
  “W-what are you saying?!” Yuri yelped, hurried trying to explain herself, “It would be very meticulous work that I believe that Danny would---”  
  
  “--And baking isn’t?!” Natsuki squared her shoulders, straightening to her full height against the tall club member, “Just what do you think---”

  Yuri too, glared, though her gaze far more panicked and timid than the pink-haired girl’s firey gaze. Nervously, Dan shot a look towards Arin. This wasn’t fair, he thought, both of the girls fighting over Dan, and treating Arin as if he were carrying some sort of infectious illness that neither of them wanted to catch.  
  
  However, it didn’t seem to bother the other man as he leaned back in his chair, a mildly amused smirk crossing his face. He flashed a warm smile toward the curly haired man, assuring him that he didn’t feel the least bit offended at his other two club members.  
  
  He understood that the two probably weren’t intentionally trying to be as dismissive of Arin as they were acting, Dan reasoned. Aside from being enthusiastic to spend a little time with outside of the club, he figured that the two were simply trying to figure out the fairest, most effective way to divide out their club members efforts.  
  
  “Guys, guys,” Monika interjected calmly, “Let’s settle down for a moment. In the end, it’s up to Danny to decide who he’d like to work with. Besides, he hasn’t really gotten a chance to spend any time with me, yet, you know?”  
  
  So, Monika wasn’t joking about having him help her this weekend? Judging by the others spiteful glares, he could tell that this wasn’t a very popular idea. It wasn’t like Monika really was that desperate for the help, anyways.  
  
  “Yeah,” Natsuki whined, “But you have Sayori to help you! Besides, you two have the easiest job out of any of us!”  
  
  “Precisely,” Yuri agreed, “It would be very unfair to divide the labor necessary for the preparations so unevenly like that. It would be much more fair if we were to divide into three teams of two, that way everyone’s efforts are evenly distributed. And considering that you already said you had Sayori to help you…..”  
  
  “Ahaha,” Monika laughed, “You’re right, sorry!I was just saying though….”  
  
  Despite her laugh, the expectant look shot in his direction seemed to suggest that she hadn’t quite fully given up on the prospect of spending time alone with him.   
  
  “Jeez,” Natsuki sighed, “This is really getting on my nerves. Can we just get this over with already so we can go home?”

  
  “Right,” Monika agreed, “But, it’s up to Danny to decide.”  
  
  Suddenly several pairs of eyes stared at him, boring a hole through his skull as he felt the laser-like heat of their expectant gazes staring right through him, waiting for him to settle this argument for good.  
  
  On one hand, Monika seemed really set on the two of them spending time alone together this weekend. But, he reasoned, she already had someone helping her with her part of the preparations. Besides, he was getting the feeling that choosing her wouldn’t go over well with the rest of the club, especially not Natsuki or Yuri.  
  
  On another hand, he felt as if he really should spend a little time with Sayori, and at least make sure that she was okay. But, after the distant way she’d been acting around him lately, and especially today, he kind of felt that he needed to give her a little space. Likewise, he thought, she was kind of already in the same situation as Monika, so it didn’t make sense for him to be helping her with festival preparations.  
  
  That simply left Yuri and Natsuki as his only two reasonable options. But, the real issue lied in which one of them he really felt that he’d be the most useful helping.

  Sure, by a logical standpoint, he’d probably be the most help to Natsuki. As much as his long, bony hands looked like they should have been capable of handling the intricate labor necessary for craft projects, he was the first to admit that he had the coordination of a newborn giraffe sometimes.  
  
  He remembered that Sayori used to joke that he was the only person she knew of who was capable of tripping over themselves while standing perfectly still on flat land.   
  
  But then again, he thought, shooting a quick glance toward Arin, he felt that it was far too obvious that Natsuki and Arin were a lot closer with another, and would probably have enjoyed each other’s company a little more than if it were him and her.   
  
  Besides, he reasoned, he didn’t think that either Arin or Yuri had really had a chance to hang out with each other outside of the context of sharing poems with one another. Perhaps it would be a good opportunity for Yuri to be able to find a common ground with another club member, and get a chance to maybe feel more comfortable making another friend?  
  
  “No offense to Yuri,” Dan said finally, “But, I think that I’d probably be a better help to Natsuki. I mean, she has a point. Arin’s pretty good with art and stuff, so it’d make sense for him to be helping Yuri. Besides, baking sounds like it could be fun.”  
  
  Natsuki, evidently pleased by Dan’s decision, shot a triumphant look at Yuri as she proudly placed her hands on her hips once more.  
  
  “Don’t worry,” she said excitedly “Baking is a ton of fun! I’m sure that you’ll agree!”

  
  “But,” Monika asked, confused, “Didn’t you just say that baking was a lot of hard work?”  
  
  “Duh,” Natsuki replied, rolling her eyes, “Of course it is. That doesn’t mean that it’s also not fun, too!”  
  
  “Well anyways,” Monika sighed, “Yuri? Arin? You two are going to be okay working together, right.”  
  
  Although a slightly disappointed light glimmered in Yuri’s violet eyes, she cast a thoughtful glance toward Arin, her smile brightening a little at the possibility of working with him, instead.   
  
  Arin himself returned Yuri’s smile with a sympathetic smile of his own, seeming to sense her sadness and disappointment of not getting to spend as much time with Dan as she might have hoped for.  Pensively stroking his beard, he exchanged a look with Dan, as if secretly wondering if it was okay for him to run a wild idea by him and the others.  
  
  “You know,” Arin suggested, “This might sound like a pretty stupid idea, but just hear me out for a sec, okay? Just ‘cause we’re all working on different projects to prepare for the festival, it doesn’t mean that we can’t all hang out together, y’know? Like, maybe we can all meet up together or something. That way, Yuri and I can coordinate our decorations with whatever theme Dan and Natsuki decide to do for the refreshments, and vice-versa.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan added, “That actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I mean, we can all meet up at my place if that would work. Arin and Yuri could use the living room to work on the decorations. And I think the kitchen might have enough space for Natsuki and I to make cupcakes in,”  
  
  Monika cast a bewildered look at the brunet man, slightly caught off guard. She opened her mouth, seemingly ready to come up with some sort of reason why this wasn’t a good idea, but found herself unable to adequately think of a reasonable argument. Even Natsuki and Yuri, who rarely ever seemed to agree on anything, didn’t seem quite as adverse to this idea.  
  
  “And,”Arin continued, “I don’t know how difficult the pamphlets are gonna be for you and Sayori to put together, so you two might be done with them before we all decide to meet up. But, if you two still wanted to, you’re both welcome to chill with everyone for a while.”  
  
  Monika bit her lip, her brow furrowing, seemingly caught in a conundrum that she hadn’t quite expected herself to get caught in. Dan reasoned that, while she did agree that Arin’s idea was a good one, and would have given her a chance to spend time with the others, especially him, outside of the club setting. But, the fact that everyone else was going to likely be there, meant that she still might not have as much time truly alone with him as she would have hoped.  
  
  “Well,” Monika replied, smiling, “I’ll certainly see, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to make it. Either way, we should be sure to let Sayori know.”  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, “Is everything settled here? We all decided that we’re all meeting at my place on Sunday, right?”  
  
  The others nodded in agreement, confirming that this was indeed the plan. Natsuki grinned, seemingly ecstatic at the prospect of spending the whole day having fun and impressing Dan with her expert baking skills. Yuri, although still staring down at her desk, smiled softly, no longer seeming as disappointed as she previously did, and having already allowed her mind to return to scheming up some designs for the decorations.  
  
  “I-I still feel,” Yuri mumbled, “That even with the help, that my decorations aren’t going to be that great.”  
  
  Dan wanted to protest, assuring her that her decorations were going to completely blow everyone out of the water, and create the perfect atmosphere for the poetry reading. But, much to his surprise, Natsuki spoke up first, resting her hands on the taller girl’s shoulders in a way that was Natsuki’s own unique style of comforting.  
  
  “Jeez,” She grumbled, although smiling, “You gotta quit being so stupid, Yuri. Monika’s right; you really are the most talented person here. I mean, besides me, anyways. And, your going to help make the event a lot more fun and welcoming! I mean, the cupcakes are obviously gonna help, too. You’re gonna make the atmosphere really special, and that’ll be really important to make people really feel during the performances. You need to give yourself a little more credit than that!”

  Yuri blushed, a faint, embarrassed smile crossing her face as she buried her face in her hands yet again. Grumpily, the petite girl released her hold of Yuri’s shoulders, huffing as she looked away, flustered that she’d allowed herself to show even a moment’s concern or encouragement toward her supposed rival.  
  
  “You” Yuri asked “ didn’t really mean that did, you?”  
  
  Natsuki growled, shifting uncomfortably as she crossed arms tightly around her chest, pointedly looking away from Yuri in an attempt to avoid the question. Monika, Arin and Dan exchanged surprised, wide-eyed looks with one another as they witnessed this bizzare and unusual scene that played out before them.  
  
  Admittedly, as rough and awkward as it had turned out, Dan believed he understood what Natsuki had been going for. With Sayori absent, there was nobody there to offer any kind words and helpful attitude to lighten the mood and cheer everyone up. So, much like the same reasoning he assumed was behind Arin’s compromise, Natsuki had taken it upon herself to fill in that role, and say something that Sayori would say in that kind of situation.  
  
  “I-I’m sorry,” Yuri apologized, “For being dumb. I’m going to do my best. And all of us are going to make this a really great event. Your cupcakes are going to be amazing!”  
  
  For the first time since stepping into the club today, the mood genuinely felt somewhat lightened as genuine, excited smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, each of them silently agreeing that they were going to try their best to make this event something memorable that they could be proud of.   
  
 “I hope to see everyone do their best,” Monika said, “But, with that, there’s really nothing more to talk about as far as festival preparations go. Have a good weekend, everyone!”  
  
  Dan nodded, once more lost in thought as he started to put his stuff back in his backpack. Absently, he started to leave, more concerned with getting home before sunset, and possibly going to check on if Sayori had made it home alright. However, he was stopped as a small hand wrapped around his wrist, tugging him back.   
  
  “Excuse me,” Natsuki asked, glaring at him “But where do you think you’re going? You weren’t thinking about just walking out of here without getting everyone’s numbers. Jeez! What if I needed to text you to pick up some extra stuff for the cupcakes! You would have had no idea, and then we wouldn’t be able to make any cupcakes at all.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan apologized, rubbing the back of his neck, “Sorry about that. Guess I’m a little distracted right now.”  
  
  “Whatever,” Natsuki sighed, handing him a folded peice of paper, “Here’s my number. You better not make it weird or anything.”  
  
  “Didn’t plan on it,” he smirked.  
  
  Carefully, Dan unfolded the piece of paper, looking briefly at Natsuki’s number as he pulled his phone out, saving the number into it.   
  
  “Like,” Natsuki continued, grumbling, “It’s a good thing we’re doing this at your house and not mine. My dad would kill me if he knew a boy was coming over.”  
  
  “Really?” Dan asked, “That seems kind of strict. But, remember, I’m not the only one gonna be there. Arin and Yuri are gonna be there. And maybe Monika and Sayori, if they decide to come.”  
  
  “Yeah yeah,” the pink haired girl grimaced, “Still, like my dad would ever let me have a boy over in the house, much less two boys. Even if there were other girls there, too. Anyways, I just needed to complain for a second. We have each other’s numbers, now. That’s all I needed from you. I’ll text you when I come over, so you’d better not forget about it, okay?”  
  
  “Got it,” Dan laughed, casually adjusting his backpack over his shoulder. Natsuki, evidently pleased by his promise, grinned triumphantly in response, resting a hand on her hip as usual.  
  
 “I’m gonna show you why I love baking so much,” She promised, “So you better look forward to it.”  
  
  A sly, mischievous smile quirked at the edges of Dan’s lips as he gave the pink haired girl a curious look. So, it looked like Natsuki might have been actually starting to warm up to him, after all, he thought. The incident in the closet the other day perhaps hadn’t been as much of a fluke as he’d original thought. Was it likely that Natsuki, too, might have harbored some secret affection toward him as well? Either way, he reasoned, it was probably best not to let her know that he was onto her.  
  
  “Oh?” he smirked, “I thought you said that you were just gonna give me the dirty work.”  
  
  Natsuki grimaced, making a strangled sound with her throat as she gritted her teeth.  
  
  “Well,” she explained defensively, “I was just saying that. It’s not like I could act like….in front of everyone…..that I was looking forward to this or anything. That’d be way too embarrassing!”  
  
  “Wait,” Dan asked, disbelieving, “really? You’re actually excited about this? Like, I thought that you hated my guts.”  
  
  “Eh,” Natsuki grumbled, more to herself, “It’s just, I’ve never got to bake with someone else before. I-it’s not like I like you like that or anything, so---”  
  
 “Alright,” Dan replied, “I get it. Anyways, see you on Sunday?”  
  
  Natsuki said nothing, her face and her hair locked in a fierce competition over which could be the most pink, with the blush on her face rapidly starting to win out. Hurriedly, she rushed out of the room in a flustred frenzy.  
  
  As Dan started to leave, he heard someone approach beside him. Arin nervously hovered inside the doorway, staring at him as if he wanted to say something.   
  
  “Hey, Arin,” Dan asked, “What’s up?”  
  
  “Uh,” the other man began, “I was just wondering if you’d be okay if I walked with you for a bit. Like, not all the way home, obviously.”  
  
  Dan bit his lip hesitantly, as he eyed the other man doubtfully. Part of him wondered if Sayori might have secretly known more than she was letting on. Hadn’t she literally just proposed this same scenario the previous night? He wondered. Did Arin, like seemingly everyone else in the club, also have some sort of unexplained attraction to him?  
  
  Jeez, he sighed to himself, running his hands through his curls, hadn’t he been a dorky, gangly beanpole of a loser last year? Why was he suddenly getting to be so popular with everyone? He was starting to feel like the main character of some overly saccharine dating sim that Natsuki probably would have played in her spare time.  
  
  “Sure,” Dan shrugged as he let Arin pass through the door, “I guess that I could use the company.”

* * *

  
  To say that the two walked down the street in awkward silence would have been a lie. Some idle conversation, mostly consisting of one of them referencing various movies and video games, while also being utterly mystified and baffled that the other had never seen or played said specific piece of media, did occur, puncturing the awkward silences.  
  
  It was at a crosswalk halfway between Dan’s house and the school yard that the two briefly stopped. Another tense silence hung heavy between them as they stared at one another, neither truly willing to acknowledge that this was the point where they were to separate, for now.   
  
  “Dan,” Arin apologized “Look, I know that I’ve probably been kind of weird ever since you met me, and that I’ve been acting especially feaky today, too. And I get that it’s probably really frustrating.”  
  
 “ ‘Frustrating’” Dan scoffed, feeling a bit like Natsuki as he crossed his arms in front of him, glaring at Arin, “Doesn’t even cover half of it.”  
  
  Furtively, as if paranoid that some invisible person might have been listening in on their conversation, Arin looked over his shoulder before continuing, his voice kept low, afraid to be overheard, even though they were the only two currently on the intersection who likely even cared about this conversation.   
  
  “Yeah,” he said, “I get that. And, I’m sorry. It’s just---look, I can’t really explain everything right now. There’s a whole lot about everything lately that doesn’t even make sense to me, either.”  
  
  The other man sighed as he reached into his pocket, withdrawing a leather bracelet similar to the one around his own wrist.. Carefully, he held it out to Dan, shyly offering it to him. Confused, the curly haired man took the bracelet, his eyebrows arching as he examined it in the orange light of the setting sun.   
  
  The charm on the bracelet was a circular copper coin, similar to a yen piece. Flecks of green and faded brown rust appeared on it’s dented, worn surface. Although somewhat faded and smudged by time and wear, a few characters written in what appeared to be Chinese were inscribed upon it’s surface. Somehow, despite not being able to read the symbols himself, Dan instinctively seemed to recall that the symbols were supposed that the symbols were supposed to say something along the lines of “You are not alone.”  
  
  “Arin,” Dan asked, “I-I don’t understand?”  
  
  “Look,” Arin sighed, “A lot of things have started getting a little too heavy lately. Probably worse than they have been lately. And, depending on what happens in the future, I’m afraid that things might be about to go south really fucking fast if we’re not careful.”  
  
  The other man blushed, his eyes averting bashfully from Dan’s as he folded his arms behind his back.  
  
  “I just wanted to give you this,” he explained, “Just in case you got overwhelmed, and you needed something concrete to hold onto, y’know? Just look at it and just remember that nobody is ever alone. You are not alone. I’ll be there for you, Dan.”  
  
  Once more, Dan felt his breath caught in his chest as he and Arin’s eyes met, locked in a shared meaningful gaze, deeper and more ancient than either of them, or even the cosmos itself. Had either of them been in the right mindset at the moment, they would have jokingly made a reference to the theme song to the sitcom Friends. But, at that particular moment in time, making jokes felt inappropriate.  
  
  Carefully, Arin took Dan’s arm, winding the leather cord around his wrist. Once more, Dan felt his heartbeat loudly in his ears, his skin set aflame by the slightest brush of Arin’s hand against his pulse as he tied the bracelet’s cord together.   
  
  Although Dan did not understand the deeper context and reasoning behind Arin’s words, he felt that he didn’t need to. For some reason, he trusted Arin, as if they’d know each other for years, rather than days. And, he felt that, of all the things he just instinctively knew about him, this promise was one of one things that he’d always kept, and forever would keep.  
  
  Something shifted in Arin’s eyes as tendrils of sorrow snaked their way across his handsome face once more. Once more, cold reality that ironically felt more empty and less real to him than the far too brief moments lost in their momentary daydream, crashed down upon them, breaking them apart.  
  
 “Dan,” Arin said, his voice stern and serious, “Something has been hurting Sayori a lot worse normal, recently. I don’t know if either of us can save her, but you might be the only one who understands what she’s going through right now. Right now, she needs you to be the real you with her, and not the person that she thinks you are around her.”  
  
 Twilight deepened from blue to purple, bathing Dan it faint glow of the flickering street lamps as he watched Arin turn away and vanish into the ever growing shadows that gathered at the far end of the tree-lined street.   
  
  Sighing, Dan continued forward on his trek back to his home. Each step closer to his house felt as if he were walking a thousand miles carrying a sack of heavy bricks on his back.   
  
  Thoughts weighed heavily on his mind, swirling in a tempest as he passed his house, standing outside of the gate of Sayori’s home. He felt as if he finally understood the meaning of the infamous ‘To Be or Not to Be’ monologue in Hamlet. While he himself wasn’t a Danish prince debating on enacting revenge upon the uncle who had murdered his father, and stolen his birthright from him, he still felt as if he could relate to Hamlet’s maddening indecision within that moment.  
  
  If he didn’t go in now, he thought, he risked something bad possibly happening to Sayori. But, if he went in now, she might still push him away, angry that she had disrespected her wishes and invaded her privacy so rudely like that, and he could risk losing her as a friend.   
  
  Hesitantly, his hand hovered above the latch on the gate. Not yet, a little voice whispered in his mind, She’s not ready for you yet.    
  
  He sighed as his hand dropped limply at his side. As if being guided by some unseen hand, he felt as if his feet were lead away from Sayori’s gate, back toward his own house, to drift away into a dreamless sleep.  
  
  Tomorrow, the voice tried to reassure him. Tomorrow, Sayori would be ready to share her secret pain with him.  
  
  He just hoped that he would be able to be the person that she needed him to be.  
  
  After all, Arin was right about one thing; after this weekend, everything was going to change.


	5. Recipe for Disaster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks again to everyone for your continued support, feedback, and patience with this fic! Anyways, as we’re starting to get into the darker, more serious chapters, I’d like to advise you all to please exercise discretion while reading this and future chapters. This chapter in particular contains discussions of depression as well minor descriptions of blood. Anyways, thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

_Saturday_  
  
  Dan had spent the night in restless fits of sleep, punctuated far too often by periods of anxiety-filled alertness. Although he was thankful that it was the weekend, and thus he didn’t have the extra burden of having to write a poem for the club, he still felt as if he couldn’t enjoy the relaxation.  
  
  Worried thoughts of Sayori played distantly in his mind, like fuzzy images and faint echoes of sound lost within the roar of static white noise. Conflicting thoughts tossed about in his head, swirling around like laundry in a washing machine, swirling in an endless cycle of questions and reassurances.  
  
  Had he been right to not check up on her yesterday after she’d left the club early? He wondered. Of course, he argued, she seemed like she didn’t want to be around anyone, and it would have been terrible of him to force her into some type of unwanted social interaction.  
  
  So, why did it feel so wrong? Why did he feel like he should have at least offered to walk her home, knowing that there was something troubling her? No, he corrected himself, she was just feeling a little under the weather, that was all.  
  
  Monika had talked to her and told them that everything was alright. There was nothing to worry about?  
  
  But then again, Arin had warned him that not everything was alright. Whatever was bothering Sayori was not something that could, or should, be easily dismissed.  
  
  Which one of them was right? He wondered. What if they were both wrong? He thought. Although it was likely that Sayori trusted one or both of them to give them an small insight into her emotional state, that didn’t mean that she’d told them everything, or that either of them truly knew what was going on.  
  
  His buzzing thoughts were only briefly distracted a couple of times. Once, by a series of text messages from Natsuki, both trying to confirm that the number he had texted her earlier was his number, and to request that he stop by the grocery store to pick up some extra ingredients for the cupcakes before Sunday.  
  
  The other was an e-mail from Monika, reminding him to submit the poem he was going to perform, so that she could add it to the pamphlets she and Sayori were going to be working on.  
  
  Briefly, he wondered how Monika had managed to get his e-mail, when he didn’t recall ever having the chance to give it to her. But then again, he reasoned, she’d probably gotten it from Sayori or something.  
  
  Quickly, he flipped through his notebook of songs, searching for another one of his older songs that he could perform. Eventually, he settled on a song he’d titled _Run with the Hunted_. Admittedly, it was an older song of his (though not quite as old as the one he’d performed during practice), and again, not exactly one that he saw as his best.  
But, there was something about the song that he couldn’t help but still enjoyed a lot. Even a few years later, he’d catch himself accidentally humming it under his breath without realizing it.  
  
  Hours had passed before Dan had finally drifted off into a dreamless sleep. His rest seemed far too short however, as the gray light of morning pierced through his closed curtains, gently prodding him awake with it’s persistent, though muted, cheerfulness.  
  
  Groggily, he glanced at his alarm clock, and let out a groan. It was nearly 10:30 in the morning, he noted. Still early enough for it to be morning, but late enough that he still felt like he’d overslept and wasted his entire morning.  
  
  Sighing to himself, he climbed out of his bed, preparing himself for the day that lay ahead of him, as he got dressed and ate some breakfast. Before he even realized it, he was standing outside of Sayori’s front door.  
  
  Nervously, he adjusted his hooded leather jacket, hugging it tighter against his body, despite the humid heat in the air, as he rang the doorbell. Once more, his anxiety flooded back into the pit of his stomach as several minutes passed without a response.  
  
  Again, he pressed the doorbell. And again, no response.  
  
  Was she home? He wondered, as he peeked into the windows of the darkened house. Neither of them had talked to each other since she had left the club early the previous day, he thought. She hadn’t even texted him to let him know that she was alright.  
  
  Maybe she’s just out running errands or something, he thought, trying to allow his reasonable side to calm his jangled nerves. Carefully, he searched for the spare key that Sayori’s family kept hidden under the doormat in case of an emergency.  
  
  He wasn’t sure if this was emergency, he thought as he unlocked the door and pushed it open, but it sure felt like one to him.  
  
  A morose stillness draped itself over the empty house, like shroud. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but feel that the air reeked with the same solemn tension that one experienced at a funeral.

  Sayori was nowhere to be found on the first floor, Dan realized, and was probably instead in her room, if she was there at all.    
  
  The overwhelming sense of dread crept into his bones as he slowly made his way up the creaking wooden stairs leading to the second floor. It felt wrong, his mind all but screamed. Shouldn’t Sayori have heard the doorbell? Didn’t she usually greet him at the front door?  
  
  Had something happened to her? Was she alright?    
  
  He felt as if he could vomit as his hands shook, hovering about the doorknob to her room. His mind was frantic, jumping between worst case scenarios and horrifying, gruesome scenes that laid beyond that door.  
  
  It was too still, he thought. His heavy footsteps alone had to have echoed like thunder off the wooden floors, alerting anyone within the house to his presence. Surely, if Sayori was here and that she was alright, she would have left her room to check on the sound.  
  
  Best case scenario, the rational part of him argued, she was simply sleeping in. After all, she was a pretty heavy sleeper, and she had been late for class often because she slept through her alarm. So, maybe there was nothing to worry about.  
  
  Still, his anxiety warned him, what about the worst case scenario? What if he opened that door and found Sayori hurt or possibly dead?  
  
  Vigorously, he shook his head, his dark curls flying wildly as he fought desperately to fight off his darker, more morbid thoughts before haunting images could be given the chance to manifest. He didn’t want to think about that even being a possibility.  
  
  “Sayori?”  
  
  No response.  
  
  “Sayori,” he repeated, more firmly, “It’s Dan. I’m coming in, okay?”  
  
  Again, no response. Steeling his nerves, Dan gripped the doorknob, twisting it open as he pushed the door open. Inhaling a sharp breath, he pushes himself inside. No turning back now, he thought to himself as he opened his eyes and held his breath.  
  
  At first, he almost wondered if he was right to think that Sayori might not have been home. Around him, he saw the disorganized contents of her room. Wrinkled clothes carelessly scattered across the room, as if her closet had exploded. A collection of stuffed animals that he knew she’d owned since they were children cluttered the corner of her bed, staring back at him with glassy, but friendly eyes.  
  
  And yet, Sayori herself was nowhere in sight.  
  
  “Sayori?” He asked timidly.

  
  He breathed a sigh of relief as this time yielded a response. A faint shuffling could be heard from her closet as the peach-haired girl emerged, her blue eyes haloed in red, as if she’d been crying.  
  
  Hastily, she wiped at her eyes, trying to brush away the remaining stubborn tears that blotched her pale face. She smiled, but the smile was far too weak and forced for Dan to be even mildly convinced that she was feeling alright.  
  
  “Danny?” Sayori greeted, “What are you doing here? It’s been forever since you came over, hasn’t it?”  
  
  “Heh,” Dan laughed weakly, “Yeah, I guess that it kind of has been, hasn’t it? Nothings really changed in here, I see. Everything’s as messy as usual.”  
  
  When was the last time that he’d visited her in her room? He wondered. Had he ever been in her room? He seemed to recall visiting her in her room a few times when they were younger, but everything seemed to be hazy, like a dream viewed through static.  
  
  Sayori giggled weakly, her body twisting shyly as she subconsciously tried to make herself retreat away from her childhood friend. Yet, despite that, her feet remained firmly planted on the floor, grounding her in place as she tried to make awkward small talk with him.  
  
  “Ehehehe,” she joked “Maybe if you’d come over more often, I’d have a reason to clean my room, and it wouldn’t be such a mess.”  
  
  “Maybe,” Dan retorted, politely going along with her attempt at keeping the mood light, “But that’s because I usually end up cleaning it for you.”  
  
  Sayori’s face turned serious, her brow furrowing as she glared at him. He shuddered as he felt her azure gaze piercing through him, seeming to search for something within him that she wasn’t sure was there, much less what it was in the first place.  
  
  “Why did you want to come over here,” she asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready to be helping out Natsuki tomorrow?”  
  
  Dan’s brow furrowed as he blinked in confusion. How had she known about that, he wondered? She had left the club before Monika had even assigned any of them their projects for the festival, or before any of them had made any plans about who they were working with.  
  
  “Yeah,” he replied, “But, it’s not just going to be her coming over-- Arin and Yuri were planning on stopping by to work on the decorations, too. Wait--how did you know about that?”  
  
  “Monika told me.”  
  
  Sayori’s gaze lowered, staring at the floor as if she were ashamed to admit what Monika had told her, as she tugged at the sleeve of her pink shirt. There was something in the slight edge of cold hardness her voice that made Dan uneasy. He felt like Monika had informed her of a lot more than just the preparations for the festival.  
  
  What had Monika told her, exactly? He wondered.  
  
  “It’s only natural,” Sayori explained, “that Monika keep me informed about the festival preparations, right?”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan sighed, mildly relieved, “That’s true. But, what about you? Aren’t you supposed to be helping Monika, today?”  
  
  Sayori waved over toward her computer. A vague layout of the pamphlet seemed to be on the screen at the moment, though no-one’s poems, or any pictures, had yet been added to the pamphlet.  
  
  “I’m just helping her online,” She said, “We didn’t plan on meeting up or anything.”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan said, “Hey, y’know-- if you wanted to, or if you were done by tomorrow, you’re more than welcome to stop by and visit with everyone.”  
  
  “Well,” Sayori said, reluctantly, “Monika and I were going to spend tomorrow actually working on the pamphlets. So, I don’t know how long it’ll take for us to actually get done with everything.”  
  
  Dan sighed, crestfallen, as he ran his fingers through his tangled curls. So, it looked like neither Sayori or Monika were going to be able to make it, he thought. He was hoping that Sayori, at least, would have been able to make it. Maybe if Sayori was around everyone, having fun without the stress of the festival and the Literature Club on her shoulders, he reasoned, that it’d lift her spirits a little bit.

  Sayori also sighed, staring absently into space. Everything about her appearance seemed uncharacteristic, he thought. It was as if a vampire had sucked all the peppiness and optimism from her, and left her only as a listless shell of her former self.  
  
  _No more dodging around the point_ , he thought as he straightened his posture as he braced himself for whatever reaction Sayori had to his questions. He didn’t want to sound too demanding, he thought. But at the same time, he felt as if Sayori’s sudden change was far too worrying that staying quiet about it was no longer an option.  
  
  “I just wanted to see how you’re doing,” Dan began, “Listen, something has been bothering you. It wasn’t just you leaving early yesterday---it’s been a lot of small things during the past few days, too.”  
  
  He felt his breaths becoming more shallow and rapid as he spoke, his words spilling forth like a waterfall as he gripped at the sleeves of his jacket. Deseparate tears that he’d been holding back, once more glistened in the corners of eyes.

  
  “Sayori,” he all but begged, “Please, if something’s hurting you, please don’t hide it from anyone! You tell me not to worry about you, but how can I not worry when I’m afraid that something bad might happen to you?! Have we---did something change between us?”  
  
  Dark clouds of sadness rolled across her blue eyes, as a troubled frown twisted the corners of her lips. Despite the buzzing worry that ached in his chest, he couldn’t help but feel his heart break a little as she refused to look at him, muttering half-formed words and sounds to herself.  
  
  “Danny,” she said,her voice faint but cracking, “This….this is my fault. If I didn’t get so weak and accidentally express my feelings. If I didn’t make that stupid mistake, then you wouldn’t be worried about me.”  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan continued, gently, “You didn’t make a mistake. I get it, you’re scared. There’s too much happening all at once, and it’s hard to deal with it.”  
  
  The blue eyed girl did not seem to hear him, lost in her own world as she continued to mumble to herself, dejectedly resigning herself to some awful fate.  
  
  “You wouldn’t even be thinking about me right now,” She mumbled, “But, this is my punishment, isn’t it? I’m getting punished for being selfish, aren’t I? I think that’s why the world decided to have _you_ come over today. I think it just wants to torture me.”  
  
  The way that she emphasized the _‘you_ ’ in her last sentence felt confusing to Dan, cutting through him like a razor. Why did it feel like that single word carried more weight than it should have? He wondered. Yet, there was no venom or bitterness carried behind that word, only confusion and sadness.  
  
  Gently, he reached out to take her shoulder in a comforting hold, as he’d always done when she was upset. It felt like a punch to the gut as he felt her flinch under his hands, seeming even more like she wanted nothing more than to run away and hide under her blankets until he left.  
  
  “Sayori,” he said, lowering his voice, as he looked her in the eyes “What are you talking about? I know something had to have happened to you. There’s no other reason I can think of for you being like this. I want to help you, Sayori. But, I can’t do that if you don’t let me know what’s hurting you.”  
  
  Sayori smiled an empty smile, nervously managing to meet his soft, but meaningful gaze. She laughed weakly, seemingly defeated as her shoulders slumped, and her head lowered, ashamed.  
  
  “You,” she replied, “really put me in a trap, Danny. But, you’re wrong. Nothing’s happened to me. I’ve always been like this. You’re just seeing it for the first time.”  
  
  Dan felt his blood run cold, his grip on Sayori’s shoulders loosening just slightly. Arin had been right, he thought to himself. Sayori had been hiding something from him for a while now. But, why had she been hiding it from him their whole lives? And how he been so blind as to not notice something was wrong, sooner?  
  
  “What are you talking about,” Dan asked, “Seeing what for the first time?”  
  
  “Eheheheh,” Sayori laughed again, “You’re really just gonna make me say it, aren’t you, Danny? I guess I have no choice this time.”  
  
  Heavy, tense silence weighed between them as the two stared at each other. Every fiber of his being waited in breathless anticipation as she prepared herself to speak. His ears strained in the silence, waiting to take in every word she was about to speak as if it were the most important thing in the world he was ever going to hear.  
  
  “The truth is,” Sayori began, “I’ve had really bad depression my whole life. Did you know that?”  
  
  Dan froze, eyes wide as he stared in shock at his best friend. This was what she was hiding from him, he thought. This was the secret she was so ashamed about? Why, he wondered, did she feel so ashamed to admit that she had depression? Even if there was a social stigma about it, it wasn’t like he believed in that stigma.  
  
  “Why do you think I’m late to school every day?” she continued, “Most days I can’t find a reason to get out of bed. What reason is there to do anything, when I know how truly worthless I am? Why go to school? Why make friends? Why make other people waste their energy caring about me? That’s what it feels like…”  
  
  Suddenly, Dan’s mouth began to move, as if he were no longer in control of his words as they spilled forth. And yet, Dan knew that every word he spoke was truly his own, coming directly from a place deep in his heart that he felt he had kept locked away. Absently, his hand clasped around the bracelet Arin had given him, finding confidence and reassurance in it’s presence.  
  
  “Sayori,” he confessed, “You’re not alone. I know what it feels like. I’ve been there, before. I’ve been where you are. I’ve been depressed, before. I’ve known what it feels like to be sad, to feel like the world is empty and that you’re going nowhere..”  
  
  Sayori blinked, startled as she stared in wide-eyed shock at her childhood friend. He felt as if he were in a trance as he continued speaking, words unchecked and unbidden. He wasn’t sure how Sayori felt, but he hoped that knowing that he, too, knew her feelings, would help lift the crushing weight she must have been feeling on her chest.  
  
   “It feels like getting slowly pulled down by quicksand,” he continued, “Feeling like every bit of negativity is seeping into your lungs, making everything inside feel empty and gray until you feel like you can’t breath anymore.”  
  
  One of his hands released from Sayori’s shoulder, gently lifting her chin with his thumb and forefinger, so that their eyes would meet. He saw fear and confusion dance in a wild panic in her blue eyes. She hadn’t been expecting him to say that, he reasoned. She had been prepared for him to not understand, to feel betrayed by the fact that she hid this sadness from him all these years.  
  
  Admittedly, part of him did feel mildly upset that she had kept this hidden from him for so long, choosing to suffer alone in silence. He felt like a stranger to her, that they had not known each other as completely as they had their entire lives as they thought.  
  
  And yet, he thought as he silently held her, feeling her body tremble under his gentle embrace, seeing her lips tremble and her eyes water silently, none of that mattered anymore.  
  
  His anger and confusion didn’t matter anymore. For a moment, his anxieties and fears leading up to this moment amounted to nothing. She needed him at that moment to be quiet, to let her speak. He was there to listen.

  “I’m not trying to make this about me,” he continued, “I just want you to know that, whatever I can do to help, all you have to do is ask. Anything I can do to make your day a little bit better, please tell me. That’s what friends are for, right?”  
  
  Sayori smiled sadly, her eyes breaking away from him as he dropped her face.  
  
  “Oh Danny,” she said, “Why do you think I didn’t tell you? Because if I told you, then you wouldn’t waste the effort on me, instead of focusing on doing important things. I don’t want to be cared about.”  
  
  Dan bit his lip, frowning. He understood that she didn’t want to be cared about. She felt that she probably felt as if she were a rock, weighing everyone down with her problems. It’d be easier for her, she thought, to be happy if she knew she wasn’t making everyone around her unhappy.  
  
  “It’s bittersweet,” Sayori mused, “When people try to care about me. It’s nice sometimes, but it also feels like a bat being swung against the side of my head. That’s why I wanted you to make friends with everyone else so badly. If all my friends are happy, it’s easier for me to be happy.”  
  
  Sayori sighed, the weak smile that she’d managed to muster once more slipping.  
  
  “But, at the same time,” she continued, “seeing you making friends and getting closer with everyone in the club? It kind of felt like a spear going right through my heart. I felt like we were starting to drift apart, that you were going to replace me--that we were never really that close in the first place. So, that’s why. That’s why I feel like the world wants to torture me. Every path leads to nothing but hurt.”  
  
  “That’s not true,” Dan said firmly, “I don’t believe in that at all. I’ll do anything I can to try to make you hurt less, even if it’s just for a little bit. I’ll do it.”  
  
  “There’s nothing you can do,” Sayori replied in a hollow voice, seemingly ignoring him, “I made you join the Literature Club because I was selfish, and I was punished by my heart hurting in a way I don’t understand. And now you came here, and I made you hurt, too. The universe brought you here to remind me what a horrible person I am. But, I’m going to accept these punishments, because I deserve them.”  
  
  Dan said nothing, words inadequate and failing him as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. Once more, his brown eyes were filled to the brim with tears as he felt her body flinch within his arms. His voice shook as he lowered his lanky form, whispering in her ear.  
  
  “Sayori,” he said, his voice barely able to be heard, “You’re not selfish. You don’t deserve any of this.”  
  
  Her eyes widened as her body stiffened, becoming ridged and unmoving in fright. A strangled gasp escaped her throat as she looked past him, tears breaking and streaming, unchecked down her cheeks.  
  
  “This,” she mumbled under her breath, almost too softly for him to hear, “This wasn’t supposed to happen like this. You weren’t….”  
  
  “I’m glad that you convinced me to join the Literature Club,” he said, “I’m glad that you helped me make friends with everyone else. I don’t care if we aren’t as inseparable as we might have been, please don’t underestimate my feelings for you, Sayori. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all this time.”  
  
  Sayori’s choked sobs grew louder, more pitiful as she leaned her head into his shoulder, her tears dampening the fabric of his jacket. Dan dared not move her, instead allowing her to continue to cry on his shoulder. It was the least bit of comfort that he could offer her at the moment, he figured.  
  
  “Please don’t…” she moaned quietly, barely able to speak between sobs “Danny….I….”  
  
  But, Dan didn’t relent, hugging her tighter, burying his face in her hair as he wrapped more of his long arms around her. He wished that his embrace alone could have driven away all the dark thoughts and negative emotions that had burrowed a home in Sayori’s heavy heart, and replace them with the light and happiness that she had lost. But, he knew that that it wasn’t that easy.  
  
  “Sayori,” he continued, “I don’t know if I can help---that’s something that you have to decide on your own. And, I can’t promise to fix everything, or to make the sadness stop. But, I just want you to know that everyone is here for you. I’m here for you.”  
  
  Sayori’s sobs slowed, as she tiredly leaned into Dan’s embrace, her fingers digging into the sides of his jacket sleeves, gathering handfuls of the worn leather in her hands. There was something cold and uncertain in her embrace, leaving Dan mildly worried.  
  
  “I don’t understand,” she whispered through her cries, “The only time I’m not feeling nothing is when I’m feeling pain. It doesn’t make sense. But, your hugs are really warm, and that scares me, too. You’ve never--- I don’t understand _you_ , Danny.”  
  
  Sayori released her grip on him as he let go of her. Her eyes were bloodshot and tear-stained as she rubbed at them, wiping away a few stubborn, straggling tears that refused to leave the corners of her eyes.  
  
  “So,” Dan replied, unsure of how to follow up a conversation as heavy as that one, “The festival’s Monday, right?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Sayori said, distantly.  
  
  “I don’t know if you’d want me to,” Dan continued, “But how would you feel if I spent the entire day with you?”  
  
  Sayori seemed taken aback, blushing as she quirked a curious eyebrow at him. Dan smiled, as he gave her a reassuring nod, silently confirming that this was indeed something he wanted, and not just him making an empty offer made out of concern for her.  
  
  “We haven’t gotten a chance to spend much time with each other outside of the Club,” he explained, “So, I thought we could spend the day together at the festival to kind of start making up for that.”  
  
  Sayori nodded, smiling what felt like her first genuine smile in days, as she wiped her eyes, again. Dan felt as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. Sure, he reasoned, she wasn’t magically cured, and he doubted that she ever would be. But, at least knowing what was affecting her, and having her know that she had someone beside her to support her, he hoped that it would be easier for her to make some steps toward recovery.  
  
  “Y-yeah,” she said, “I’d like that.”  
  
  “Though,” Dan added, “You could spend the day with me today, if you wanted to? Like, I’ve just got to run some errands for Natsuki, but you can come along, if you want to. And the offer to hang out with everyone tomorrow still stands, too.”  
  
  
  “Sorry,” she shook her head, “I don’t know how good that’d be for me, today. You understand, right? Besides, I really should be focusing on working on this pamphlet layout. I’ll see you Monday, okay?”  
  
  Dan nodded, though still somewhat reluctant to leave Sayori by herself at the moment. Sayori giggled, as a faint glimmer of light seemed to return to her eyes. It was still barely even a spark of light, he thought to himself, worryingly fragile and uncertain. And yet, he prayed that nothing would seek to crush that faint glimmer of light before it had a chance to grow into a radiant sun.

* * *

 _Sunday_  
  
  The rest of Saturday had went by fairly quietly, much to Dan’s relief. Although his anxiety about Sayori’s mental state was somewhat eased, a new spark of panic had taken hold in the back of his mind.  
  
  It seemed silly, all things considered, for him to have butterflies fluttering in his stomach over something as simple as spending time with friends. But still, he realized, this was the first time that he’d actually spent any time with the Literature Club’s members, except Sayori, outside of school.  
  
  What was he even going to talk to them about? He wondered. During the few days that they’d known each other, he couldn’t really recall talking with either Natsuki or Yuri about much besides poetry.  
  
  He supposed that he could try to keep focused on making the cupcakes, and possibly talk about baking. But, he reminded himself, him talking about baking was about as difficult as a scientist explaining quantum physics to a cat.  
  
  Sure, he could argue that he’d attempted baking, or even making sweets before, but he also would be the first person to admit that he had not even the first clue of how to tell a trifle from a parfait, much less how to make cookies from scratch.  
  
  And besides, he thought to himself, there was only so much that one could talk about on that subject before the conversation inevitably drifted off into other topics. He guessed they’d probably talk about manga and anime, but again, not being as near of a hardcore anime fan as either her or Arin was seriously going to limit his ability to meaningfully contribute to the conversation in a way that didn’t unintentionally come off as rude or dismissive.  
  
  His muscles tensed as he heard his phone buzz, alerting him that Natsuki had texted him. Quickly, he read over the text, his eyes sifting through the numerous cute emojis to find the core of the message underneath. It was interesting, Dan noted, that Natsuki almost seemed like a completely different person through the phone.  
  
  Although most of the few texts she’d sent him were of her complaining about something, none of the sourness and defensive sarcasm that laced her words could be found. Instead, she adopted a cuter, more light-hearted language, that was still just a expressive as if she were speaking to him face-to-face.  
  
  From what he could gather, Natsuki and the others had arrived at roughly the same time, and were currently waiting outside the door for him to let them inside.  
  
  Nervously running his fingers through his hair in frantic but fruitless attempt to tame his wild, chestnut-colored curls, he opened the door, pausing for the briefest of moments as he took in the sight of his three guests.  
  
  Outside of their uniforms, Natsuki, Yuri, and Arin looked like completely different people, Dan remarked to himself. And yet, everything about their appearance seemed far more natural and fitting to their true personalities than the boring, generic uniforms they wore.  
  
  Natsuki’s style seemed to favor lighter, frillier outfits in pastels and varying shades of pink, much like one of the characters in the mangas she adored so much. By contrast, Yuri seemed to favor clothes that were more simple and elegant. Strangely, her outfit reminded him a little of one of the characters from Silent Hill 2, which seemed oddly fitting given Yuri’s love for the horror genre.  
  
  Likewise, Arin himself seemed to be a somewhat different person when dressed in casual clothing, he remarked. Although the other man’s hair was still tied back, and his glasses were still firmly balanced on the bridge of his nose, the wine and grey colored baseball hoodie over a black tank top, and faded blue jeans, seemed more that his end goal was more comfort than style.  
  
   “Are you just gonna stand there and stare,” Natsuki snapped, “Or are you gonna invite us in? Don’t go making this weird just because you’re not used to seeing us outside of school.”  
  
  “Natsuki,” Yuri warned her gently, “Please don’t be so rude. It was more than polite for Danny to invite us to his house in the first place. It’d be improper for us to act so rudely.”  
  
  Natsuki glared at the purple haired girl, her eyes rolling in exasperation, like a sullen teenager getting lectured by their parent, despite knowing that their behavior had been out of line.  
  
  “Nah,” Dan brushed it off, “She’s right. I’m not used to seeing everyone not wearing their uniforms. It’s kinda throwing me off, y’know? I mean, you guys are probably thinking the same way, seeing me like this, too.”  
  
  “Eh,” Arin shrugged, “I think it’s weirder seeing you in the uniform than anything else, really.”  
  
  A heated blush blossomed on Arin’s cheeks, as he rubbed his wrists, nervously shuffling his feet in place as he let his words stutter, awkwardly created half-formed coos and grunts of embarrassment. Beside him, Natsuki and Yuri exchanged a look, with the petite one of the duo smirking knowingly as the other nodded in silent understanding.  
  
  “What I mean,” Arin explained, “Is that the uniform doesn’t seem to fit your personality, y’know? Like, the uniforms are too stiff and formal and shit. This really seems more ‘you’, if that makes sense?”  
  
  Dan nodded, in agreement as he quickly waved them inside. Instantly, Natsuki made a bee-line for the kitchen, while his other two guests settled into the living room, unloading stack of brightly colored origami paper onto the coffee table.  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, watching them curiously as Arin began removing several small tubes of paint and ink from his backpack, “What are you guys doing?”  
  
  “Well,” Arin replied, “Yuri thought that it’d be a cool idea if we like took this paper and cut it up, and like wrote words on each of the paper. Then, we could string them up together and make like curtains or streamers to hang around the room.”  
  
  “That’s a really cool idea,” Dan said, giving an appreciate nod towards Yuri, “Good thinking, Yuri.”  
  
  Yuri squirmed, playing with the hem of her sleeves as she stared fixedly down at the table. Flustered, she began rifling through her backpack, searching for something else. However, the gentle warmth in her soft smile told him that, as embarrassing as it was, she  
  
  “A-ah,” Yuri mumbled, “I thought that we could cover the windows with black paper and use candles to light the room. I just thought that it would help set us apart from the other clubs, and maybe create an air of mystery to help intrigue the interest of a curious passer-by, and perhaps draw them toward our event?”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan replied, “Like, to make everything a little more intimate? I like that.”  
  
  Slowly, she placed strange, wooden box on the table. The two men exchanged confused glances between each other and rectangular device as the purple haired girl began to set several small bottles filled with different colored liquids onto the table.  
  
  “What are going to be using this for?” Arin asked, curiously peering into a hole in the top of the box.  
  
  “It’s a diffuser for essential oils” Yuri asked, the nervousness slipping away from her voice as she spoke, “Are you familiar with aromatherapy?”  
  
  “Eh,” Arin shrugged, “I know a little bit. Like, I know that some people use it to like relax when they’re really stressed out and shit.”  
  
  “Indeed,” Yuri replied, “But, it can also be used for more than just relaxation. Personally, I find it fascinating how certain combinations of oils and herbs used can completely change the mood of the air itself. It’s interesting how certain scents, like lavender, can be used to calm one’s mind, while others, like jasmine, can be used to evoke feelings of intimacy and romance within a person.”  
  
  Secretly, Yuri’s eyes darted toward Dan at that last part, seeming to put special emphasis on the words ‘romance’ as she did so. Nervously, Dan swallowed, grimacing with a pained smile, wanting nothing more than to retreat into the kitchen and help Natsuki, like he should have been doing in the first place.  
  
  What was Yuri implying? He wondered. Was it just his own imagination twisting her words in a self-centered and conceited way? Or was she subtly trying to hint at some underlying feelings she had towards him?  
  
  Quickly, he shot a look toward Arin, hoping that the other man could give him some sort confirmation either which way on Yuri’s words. Naturally, Arin only shrugged helplessly in response, already setting to work dividing out the paper and paint between himself and Yuri.  
  
  It was probably nothing, he thought to himself, managing to relax his tensed body a little. And if it was, he added, then it wasn’t likely anything less than an innocent crush that she was simply too shy too confess.  
  
  “So,” Arin said, looking up from his task briefly, “You’re thinking that we could have a few of these going while we’re performing, to help enhance the mood of the performance? That actually sounds like a really cool idea! Like, what if we tried to like create specific scents to match the mood of everyone’s poems? Like between this, the music and the mood lighting, we could make it a total sensory experience..”  
  
  Yuri’s eyes glimmered excitedly as she nodded enthusiastic, her mind once again racing with ideas as she hastily sorted through the multitudes of bottles she had brought with her.  
  
  “Oh!” she said, mostly to herself, “I like that! It’s just a figuring out which scents would correspond best with which poems….”  
  
  She trailed off, lost again in her own world as she continued formulating ideas in her mind, carefully setting aside certain groups of bottles. Without much of a word, Arin set aside the stacks of paper, scooting closer to Yuri as he helped her arrange certain vials.  
  
  Dan smiled to himself as he watched the two of them deep in conversation. It was strangely nice to see the timid reservedness fading from Yuri’s posture as she responded to Arin’s questions, enthusiastically explaining each of the scents and their properties to him. A rare genuine smile crept along the edges of Arin’s handsome, bearded face, setting his deep brown eyes sparkling, as he listened with interest and awe.  
  
  Quietly, Dan slipped back into the kitchen, pleased that Yuri and Arin seemed to be getting along a lot better than he thought they would. As he pushed open the door of the kitchen, he was greeted with a strange, yet amusing sight.  
  
  Natsuki skillfully dragged a large bag of flour that likely weighed about a third of her own weight, cradling the heavy bag in her arms like a teddy bear. Hesitantly, the curly haired man moved to help her, fearing that she might lose her already tenuous hold on the bag, spilling its powdered contents all over the floor in a haze of dust.    
  
  However, a vicious, defiant glare that radiated from the petite girl’s pink eyes warned him that trying to assist her would most definitely end in him getting smacked across the face with said bag of flour.  
  
  Instead, he decided to focus on setting up the rest of the ingredients necessary. He whistled under his breath, mildly impressed, as he thought about just how much stuff Natsuki had asked him to buy for this project. Granted, she had at least agreed to cover picking up half of the supplies that neither one of them didn’t already have at home.  
Still, he thought, there apparently was a lot more than he realized that went into making cupcakes. Then again, he reasoned, he was more of the type that was satisfied with just using a pre-made cake mix, if not just outright going to the store and buying a cupcake himself.    
  
  But Natsuki, he thought, didn’t seem like the type of person who enjoyed taking the easy route when it came to things like this. Much like her poems, a lot of care and work went into something that most would typically write off as something “simple”.  
  
  It would have been easy for her to have not made these from scratch. But, he reasoned, she probably felt that doing so was far less rewarding. She probably felt that more people would be impressed with her cupcakes, her poems, and her herself, if they knew just how much effort it took to make even the simplest things become amazing.  
  
  And in a way, he couldn’t help but admire that in her.  
  
  “You bring everything I asked?” Natsuki asked.  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan replied, setting out a few large mixing bowls for the batter and the icing, “At least, everything that you weren’t already picking up, or I didn’t already have here.”  
  
  “Good!” she replied cheerfully, grinning, shifting the flour in her arms “Glad I could count on you to do your part!”  
  
  The lanky man blinked, nearly dropping a carton of eggs as he did a double take. None of Natsuki’s words were dipped in her usual acidic sarcasm and snarkiness, he noted it. In fact, her tone seemed to match much more with that of her texts than the attitude that she usually adopted around him at the club.  
  
  Maybe that brief time they’d spent talking in the closet a few days prior was more than just a fluke. Maybe it was likely that she had finally gotten comfortable enough around him to let her guard down, and be the sweet, friendly person that everyone knew she was.  
  
  “Of course,” he replied, “No problem. Hey, are you sure that you don’t need help with that flour?”  
  
  “Nope!” Natsuki replied, dropping the large bag on the counter with a heavy thud, “I totally have this!”  
  
  “Seems like I always underestimate you,” Dan laughed warmly over his shoulder as he finished setting out the rest of the supplies for the cupcakes.  
  
  “It’s ‘cause I’m so small, isn’t it?” Natsuki grinned, playfully punching him in the arm, “You jerk!”  
  
  Dan winced, rubbing the sore spot where the tiny girl’s fist had impacted his skin, before breaking out into laughter. Even if Natsuki appeared small and frail, he thought, she definitely could have had a future as a professional boxer or a member of a roller derby team, if she had the interest in it.  
  
  “Hey!” he replied, “Your size has nothing to do with it!You really hate being short, don’t you?”  
  
  The pink haired girl paused, caught off guard by the earnestness in the tall man’s voice. She babbled a few partially formed explanations that had managed to contradict one another before they could even be spoken.  
  
  “Well,” she replied, starting to get to work to distract herself from staring directly at him, “I mean, sometimes I like proving people wrong when all they think I’m worth is my size. It’s fun when I get to be small and also better than other people!”  
  
  Her expression softened as she continued. A faint blush spread across her cheeks once more as she huffed, unsure if she should have continued or not. However, a displeased frown, much like the one she wore at school, quickly hardened her softened demeanor.  
  
  “What am I even talking about this with you for,” she scoffed, “Don’t think that just ‘cause we’re not at school, that you can start talking about weird things. Now, are you gonna help me out here, or what? There’s a lot of stuff that I gotta teach you!”

  “Alright,” Dan replied, tying his hair back into a messy bun before slipping into an apron, “Still, you’re more fun when you speak your mind, y’know? Like, I don’t mean that to sound weird or anything, it’s just, it’s kind of cute.”  
  
  “H-hey!” Natsuki replied defensively, gritting her teeth as her blush deepened angrily“Now you are treating me like a kid! I was just trying to be a little nicer, y’know? And, just because I don’t have a ‘mature’ and ‘sexy’ figure like Yuri, it doesn’t mean that you can just----”  
  
  The end of her sentence was lost in a startled choke, as she began fixedly dumping the flour into one of the bowls. Despite himself, a warm expression beamed on his face, lighting his soft expression with gently sunlight.  
  
  “Hey,” he said, “Sorry if I seemed like I was talking down to you. I really do appreciate that you’re trying to be nicer. I just meant that lately, it’s just kind of nice to be around someone who’s pretty upfront about what’s on their mind, most of the time.”  
  
  “Oh,” Natsuki replied sheepishly, “I guess I didn’t realize.”  
  
  “And for the record,” Dan continued, with a sly wink, “There’s nothing wrong with your body type, or anyone’s body type for that matter. Like, everyone is beautiful, dude. Especially if you’re out there doing your own thing and not hurting anyone.”  
  
  Natsuki grimaced as she cracked an egg against the table, breaking it apart with one hand as she absently tossed the broken shells aside. However, the faint traces of a smile on her face seemed to suggest that she was at least mildly pleased, or at least amused, by his response.  
  
  “Whatever,” She said, smirking, “Just forget I said anything.”  
  
  “Already forgotten,” Dan replied, taking a few more bowls as he started preparing the next batch of cupcake batter.

* * *

 

  
 In the few hours that had passed, the tidy little kitchen looked as if a hurricane had blown it’s way through, leaving behind a mess in its wake. Spoons and dirty bowls covered in remnants of flour and cake batter, lay strewn about on the kitchen countertops.  
  
  Unfortunately, Dan had noted, they had encountered a small problem when it came to actually mixing some of the batter, as that the electric mixer he had was simply not large enough to handle the many bowls of batter necessary for the cupcakes, meaning they had to make it in multiple batches.    
  
  Sighing to himself, he wished that he had thought to at least pick up a portable mixer while he was out, so they could have at least tried to make most of the batter all at once.  
  
  Natsuki seemed to be completely in her element as she carefully and patiently instructed Dan through the process. On one hand, Dan thought, he was thankful that she was keeping such a close eye on him through this. But on the other, he wished that she’d have had a little more faith in him.  
  
  Then again, he thought as he finished mixing the last of the batter, he could understand why Natsuki would want to carefully monitoring him. This was the first time she had ever trusted anyone besides herself, so she was likely pretty nervous about how his lack of experience would affect the quality of her cupcakes.  
  
  After all, he reasoned, these cupcakes were going to be one of the things representing both the Literature Club and her to the entire school, outside of their poetry performance. And, she wasn’t about to let him, or anyone else, drag her down to anything less than her absolute best.  
  
  “Danny,” Natsuki asked, searching through the boxes and containers set out on the table, “Where’s the food coloring? The batter’s going in the oven soon, so we need to start filling the trays.”  
  
  "I think it’s next to the flour,” Dan lazily motioned toward the bag of flour on the table, “What are we using it for? I thought we were going to use that with the icing?”  
  
  “Oh yeah,” the petite girl replied, “We’re gonna use that with it too. But, I thought it’d be way too boring to just do different colors for the icing, so I’m gonna make each tray a different color. That way, even if they’re not different flavors, everyone can still pick their favorite.”  
  
  “Oh,” Dan replied, as he sat aside the mixing bowls, moving to help Natsuki set up the rows of metal trays, “That’s a really neat idea!”  
  
  “Well, yeah,” Natsuki replied, “It’s not like baking is just following a recipe, y’know? The presentation is where you get to be creative and have the most fun. It’s a million more times more worth it just seeing everyone’s eyes light up just looking at what you made.”  
  
  “Oh,” Dan replied, nodding, “Like the those cat-shaped cupcakes you made the first day I was in the club?”  
  
  “Yeah!” Natsuki nodded enthusiastically, “Exactly like that!”  
  
  As a sunny, proud smile lit the strawberry-haired girl’s slender face, Dan couldn’t help but feel his own smile mimicking hers. Even if he didn’t necessarily have as much of an interest in baking as he did music, he wondered if it was possible that he could ever make Natsuki as proud as she felt when impressing people with her cupcakes.  
  
  As Natsuki continued to dye the batter, she instructed Dan to begin making the icing. With the wisk that Natsuki had given him, the ingredients in the icing felt as if they were refusing to properly mesh together. But, still, he thought, he didn’t want to distract Natsuki further from her tasks, figured to keep at it, allowing time and patience sort it out for now.  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, “What got you into baking in the first place? No wait, let me guess: You started reading Parfait Girls, and you really started to like Minori, so you wanted to try to be a little more like her. And, since she was into baking, you wanted to try it too?”  
  
  Once again, Natsuki froze, her body going rigid as a board as a startled gasp escaped her throat. The daggers she glared at him as she sat down the food dye bottle. And, as was usual, the embarrassed rose blush painted her cheeks, informing him that he had struck a chord with her, and that he needed to be careful with his next words.  
  
  “It’s not---!” she stammered, “I mean, yeah…that’s kind of the reason, I guess? But, what does it matter to you, anyways? You probably think it’s stupid, don’t you?”  
  
  “Nah,” Dan gave her a reassuring laugh, “Trust me; I regularly daydream about being a superhero rockstar, singing goofy songs about sex, space fights and unicorn wizards with a ninja, three robots and a lion. I think I’m the last person to be calling anything ‘weird’.”  
  
  Despite herself, Natsuki giggled, her posture relaxing as she allowed herself to return to tending to dyeing the cupcake batter once more.  
  
  “Well,” she admitted “It’s part want to be more like Minori, I guess. But, there’s way more to it, I guess?”  
  
  She sighed before she continued. The withdrawn distant shadow Dan had recalled seeing when the subject of her family, more specifically her father, came up. He feared that she would suddenly switch personalities with Yuri, becoming eerily quiet and withdrawn for several hours on end.  Nervously, he swallowed, immediately regretting bringing up this topic with her in the first place.  
  
  “I’ve been around baking all my life,,” she continued, “Mama and papa used to own this bakery that we lived above. Sometimes mama’d let me help her make some of cupcakes and cookies that they sold. So, I guess I just found it really fun? I dunno.”  
  
  Her gaze lowered sadly as she continued, drawing a ragged breath, as if trying to swallow back some emotions that she refused to let Dan know she was capable of expressing.  
  
  “When mama….left,” Natsuki explained, though her voice soft enough that she might as well have been talking to herself. “I guess I kind of got a little more into baking, ‘cause it kind of made me and papa happy? Like, it reminded him of mama, and it felt like she was still there with us, I guess. I dunno--it’s stupid.”  
  
  An aching stab pierced through Dan’s heart like a knife as he saw Natsuki tremble, tears welling in the corner of her eyes as she scrunched her face, wiping her eyes before the tears could accidentally splash into the cupcake mix. Setting the mixing bowl and the whisk on the counter beside him, he wrapped his long arms around her, embracing her comforting hug.  
  
  Suddenly, it felt as almost everything about her was starting to make sense. Everything about the way Natsuki acted; her dislike for the darker, more morbid things, and the conflicting cute and tough-girl personas---everything suddenly had at least the beginnings of an reason behind them.  
  
  The petite girl once more stiffened, surprised by the sudden contact. However, as she looked up at the soft, gentle light glimmering in Dan’s brown eyes, she relaxed a little, leaning into his chest slightly.  
  
  “I’m sorry Natsuki,” Dan began, “I shouldn’t have brought it up. Let’s just forget that I said anything okay?”  
  
  “No,” she replied, shaking her head as she sniffed loudly “For once, it’s not your fault you’re an idiot. How were you supposed to know? But, look--let’s just move on, okay? We still got way more cupcakes to make, and I don’t want to ruin the mood with us getting all sappy with each other, okay?”  
  
  The two of them laughed as Dan released her from his embrace. As quickly as the moment had started, it past as Natsuki looked over at the icing in the mixing bowl. A sharp look of annoyance crossed her face as she glared at him again.  
  
  “Eh?!” she exclaimed, “The icing’s still all lumpy! Danny, were you even trying?!”  
  
  “I _was_ trying!” Dan replied defensively, “It’s just gotta take a little longer, that’s all.”

  Rolling her eyes, Natsuki took the bowl from him, tilting it as she began stirring the whisk through the icing mix. Dan’s eyes widened in awe as he watched her. It was like magic as the icing that had previously refused to blend together properly instantly began to smooth and take form under her rough, but through guidance.  
  
  “You really gotta beat the crap out of it,” Natsuki explained, her movements becoming faster, “How about we switch? You can finish up coloring the cupcakes and I’ll work on getting this icing done. Otherwise, we’re gonna be here all night working on this!”  
  
  Dan shrugged, not wanting to fight with her on the subject as he took to adding the food coloring to the remaining cupcake trays. In a matter of seconds, the icing was finished. A mischievous giggle escaped Natsuki’s lips, alerting Dan’s attention. As he turned his head, he found himself smacked in the face as the petite girl had lobbed a glob of icing at him, hitting him in the cheek.  
  
    “H-Hey!” Dan laughed, wiping the icing off his face with his sleeve, “What was that for?!”  
  
  Natsuki said nothing, only grinning at him, silently daring him to try to make a move. A devilish grin now appeared on Dan’s own face, as he stealthily tried to sneak up to the bowl and scoop a bit of the icing from it. However, Natsuki, despite her small size, was much quicker, grabbing his wrist just before he could touch the bowl.  
  
  “No way,” Natsuki replied, “Like I’m gonna let you put your gross fingers in _my_ icing!”  
  
  “ _Your_ icing?” Dan shot back, “Who do you think did most of the work?”  
  
  “I did,” Natsuki joked, “’Cause if you had still been doing it, we’d still be waiting here. Don’t make me beat the crap our of you next.”  
  
  “Hey,” he laughed, jokingly challenging her threat, “Don’t mess with me, or I will cry all over you until you leave!”  
  
  The pink haired girl quirked a confused eyebrow at him. But, that was all the distraction he needed, as he managed to inch one of his fingers toward the icing, scooping up a bit onto his finger. In the confusion, he quickly slung the icing toward Natsuki, also hitting her in the cheek with a glob of icing.  
  
  “Ew!” she squealed, “That’s gross! You got icing on my face!”  
  
  “Now we’re even,” Dan replied with a satisfied smirk.  
  
  Casually, Natsuki tried to lick away the spot of icing on her face with her tongue, but found the spot just out of her reach. Despite her disgust, the petite girl couldn’t help but laugh as as Dan handed her a damp towel to clean the icing off her face.  
For a moment, it was all the two could do but to stare at one another, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.    
  
  It wasn’t just the fact that the two of them had resorted to flinging icing at each other. It was everything: Dan being worried that Natsuki hated him, Natsuki feeling like she had to keep up a guarded persona of bitterness and contempt toward him, the fact that he had even worried about spending the day with her. It all seemed so petty and unnecessary, in the face of the few lighter moments they shared with one another.  
  
  Suddenly, a pained scream echoed from beyond the kitchen door, snapping Dan and Natsuki out of the moment as they exchanged a concerned, worried look between each other and the door.  
  
  “What was that?” Dan asked.  
  
  “That sounded like Arin,” Natsuki replied, “I wonder what the heck he and Yuri are doing in there?”  
  
  “I’ll go check it out,” Dan said, heading toward the door, “I think we’re pretty much done getting the cupcakes prepared, right? You think you can start getting the cupcakes in the oven while I see what’s up?”  
  
  “Leave it to me,” Natsuki winked, giving him a thumbs-up.

* * *

 

  Upon entering the living room, an uneasiness prickled the hairs on the back of his neck. A static stillness, heavy and rife with dread and fear, much like what he’d felt when entering Sayori’s house on Saturday.  
  
  A flowery scent filled his lungs, making him feel light-headed and dizzy as he entered the room. Quickly, he switched off the scent diffuser before taking survey of the room.  
  
  Of all the millions of possible scenarios that had flashed through Dan’s mind as he looked into the room, he wasn’t sure that what he saw before him was the one that immediately jumped to his mind first.  
  
  Yuri, her hands covering her face, rocked back and forth in the corner, mumbling to herself, sounding on the verge of tears. Beside her on the floor lay a rainbow plated knife with an elegantly carved hilt of peal, it’s blade coated in a sparse bit of blood.  
  
  Next to her, Arin groaned in pain, clutching the palm of his hand, carefully positioning his injured hand as not to accidentally spill blood on the decorations. Yet, through his pained moans, the other man still tried to comfort the violet haired girl, to little avail.  
  
  “Holy shit,” Dan said as he noticed the scene, “What happened here?!”  
  
  “Ahhh!!!” Yuri gasped, startled out of reverie by Dan’s worried voice, “I-it was my fault! I was trying to give him my knife to cut the paper with and I----”  
  
  Her words were lost in a strangled sob as she collapsed in on herself once more in shame.Kneeling, Dan patted her on the shoulder, trying to calm her. Slowly her breathing steadied and she managed to calm down.  
  
  “Hey,” Dan reassured her, “It’s okay. I’m sure that Arin knows it was just an accident. Right, Arin?”  
  
  “Right,” Arin replied, nodding, “See, it’s not that bad! It’s just a scratch!”  
  
  Dan winced in sympathy as Arin uncurled his fist, lifting his hand off the cut. Although the cut itself didn’t seem that deep, messy smudges of crimson were smeared around the slash like wild splotches of paint on a canvas. Brighter red glistened atop the wound, starting to well up once more.  
  
  Arin, too, sucked in a regretful breath as he pulled his wounded hand away, knowing that seeing the cut would probably do little to help calm Yuri’s already shaken state. Yuri only stared blankly at the wound, seemingly mystified by the sight of the trickle of blood beginning to stream forth.  
  
  “Y-you’re right,” Yuri replied breathlessly, “It was an accident. I’m sorry.”  
  
  “Hey Yuri,” Dan said, helping her to her feet “Why don’t you guys take a break for a little bit? If you want, you could hang out with Natsuki for a little while while I try to get Arin bandaged up. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind the company.”  
  
  Reluctantly, Yuri nodded, her red-rimmed violet eyes staring at the floor in embarrassment as she shuffled past Arin.  Without a further word, Dan took Arin’s wrist, leading him toward the bathroom.  
  
  The lanky man felt like he was back in the school nurse’s office as he instructed Arin to take a seat on the toilet while he searched through the medicine cabinet for the First Aid kit. Only, he almost laughed, normally he was the patient, not the nurse.  
  
  The other man held his breath, suspiciously eyeing the large bottle of antiseptic that Dan was currently pouring onto the a clean washcloth. As carefully as he could, the curly haired man gently cleaned the wound, trying his best to hold Arin’s hand still as the other man flinched at the sting of the alcohol on his skin.  
  
  A couple minutes passed in tense silence as Dan knealt in front of Arin, carefully cleaning and dressing the cut to his best abilities. Admittedly, the bandages he wrapped around Arin’s hand probably weren’t the most professional, but at the very least they were tight enough to hold the cotton gauze in place in order to stem the blood.  
  
  “Alright,” Dan said finally as he got back to his feet once more, “All patched up. It’s not the best, but you should be able to use that hand.”  
  
  “Oh thank god,” Arin joked, heaving an over-exaggerated sigh of relieve as he  also stood up, “I was afraid we were gonna have to amputate!”

  
  The two of them laughed lightly, before a crushing silence once more weighed between them as they found themselves staring once more in each others’ eyes. A small lump formed in Dan’s throat as he yet again found himself reflected in those pools of dark brown.  

  He thought back to yesterday and Sayori’s confession of depression, and the warning that Arin had given him the night before. Had Arin known that Sayori suffered from depression? Had Arin known what Dan was going to say to her, despite the fact that Dan himself hadn’t known?  
  
  Was that the reason that Arin had given him the bracelet? He wondered. Absently, he fidgeted with the circular charm, his fingers ghosting over the inscription of ‘You are Not Alone’. Had Arin not entirely intended to give it to him as an mental anchor as much as a prompt?  
  
  “Arin,” Dan said, “Sayori told me what’s been bothering her, lately.”  
  
  “Dan,” Arin began quickly, “I--”  
  
  “---You knew, didn’t you?” Dan asked quietly, cutting him off “You knew that she had depression.”  
  
  Defeated, Arin sighed, running his fingers through his ponytail, pulling a few dark locks loose. His eyes widened as they darted frantically across the room, seeming to seek out every little corner he could crawl up and hide in. Although nothing in Dan’s tone indicated that any anger or disappointment toward the other man, he couldn’t help but notice the faint spark of guilt that shimmered in Arin’s eyes.  
  
  “I knew,” Arin sighed, closing his eyes, “I’ve known for a while, really.”  
  
  Dan blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion. What did he mean that he’d known for a while? Had Sayori told him? Granted, he hadn’t really seen Arin or Sayori talk to each other that often during the Literature Club meetings. But, then, both Arin and Sayori had been in the Club for some time before Dan had even considered joining, so it was possible that the subject had come up during then.  
  
  But still, Dan thought as he shook his head, that didn’t make sense. When he had talked to her, Sayori had acted like this was something that she had tried so hard to keep secret for years, too afraid and ashamed of receiving the sympathy and pity of others. There was simply no way that she’d confess her darkest secrets some guy whom she’d only known a few weeks, at best.  
  
  “I don’t get it,” he began, “How did you know? Did Sayori tell you?”  
  
  Arin chuckled humorlessly as he hugged his arms around his chest, staring at the ground. He seemed like a mouse caught in a trap, unable to struggle anymore, but reluctantly designed to wait out his unfortunate fate. Sighing, he turned his back to the other man, unable to look him in the eye without his emotions breaking free.  
  
  There was something almost eerie about Arin’s quietness that chilled Dan’s blood. It seemed so alien and unfitting to on a warm and friendly person like him, Dan thought, like a bad, ill-fitting suit.  
  
  “Remember when I said I was psychic?” Arin asked, “I wasn’t entirely lying. I mean, it’s way more complicated than just that, but---”  
  
  Dan growled under his breath, rolling his eyes, as his irritation flared, inflaming his senses. This was ridiculous! He thought to himself. Here he was trying to be completely serious, and Arin was over here making jokes?!  
  
  “C’mon, Arin,” Dan pleaded, grabbing Arin’s arm as he gently turned him around to him once more, “Stop fucking around.”  
  
  Suddenly, Dan’s body felt cold as the color flee from his face. His eyes widened dangerously as he looked at Arin’s tear-stained face. Arin seemed to shrink under the heat of his gaze, trembling like a small, terrified kitten in Dan’s arms. Cold realization struck him like a brick to the face.  
  
    Arin wasn’t joking.  
  
   “Arin,” Dan breathed, all words lost to him, “ Dude, I don’t---”  
  
    The other man chuckled humorlessly again, readjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose. Nervously, he fidgeted with the bandage around his hand, his fingers brushing over the rough bindings.  
  
    “Look, it’s kind of hard to explain” Arin continued, “Like, I don’t fucking know everything, obviously. But, sometimes I just kind of have a bit of unspoken insight into a few things. It’s like of like I’m reading the same story as everyone, but I’m reading from the annotated version or something.”  
  
    Dan was speechless, his jaw agape as all he could do was stare at the other man in disbelief and awe. Arin had to be messing with him, he thought. It was far too unbelievable for him to wrap his head around. And yet, it seemed to make far too much sense, he reasoned.

  “I don’t get it,” Dan asked, “If you already knew why Sayori was hurting, why did you need me to talk to her? Why couldn’t you have helped her yourself?”  
  
  “It’s complicated,” Arin said, “Excuse me for being cryptic and shit, but there’s only so much that I’m able to do, even with what I know.”  
  
  “You realize,” Dan said skeptically, “That all of this sounds fucking insane, right?”  
  
  “Oh, totally fucking insane,” Arin agreed, “But, I couldn’t make up something this wild if I tried. And you know what’s really fucked up? That’s barely even a fourth of the story.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan asked, “If that’s the case, what’s the rest of the story?”  
  
  Once more, Arin seemed apprehensive to speak. The glare of the bathroom lights caught one of the lenses of the larger man’s glasses as he stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, drawing his shoulders up to his ears.  
  
  “I-I can’t tell you right now,” Arin said, “I want to tell you; I want you to know everything. If I could tell you everything right now, then maybe we could end this fucking nightmare. But, I’m afraid, Dan. I’m afraid of what could happen to us if I told you. I’m afraid of what the universe would do to to you if you knew.”  
  
  The larger man sighed once more, mentally weighing his options before he chose to speak again.  
  
  “But,” Arin said, “I will tell you one thing. Tonight, after we all leave, Sayori is going to show up here. She’s going to tell you something important, but whatever you decide to tell her, it might be impossible not to hurt her.”  
  
  Slowly, Arin leaned in closer, his lips just inches away from Dan’s ear as he whispered to him. Dan felt his skin tingle as he felt Arin’s warm, sweet breath brush against his face like a summer breeze.  
  
  “Dan, I’m gonna try to save her.” Arin whispered, his voice cracking and wavering tearfully “ I’m gonna try to save them all. I’m going to save _you_.”  
  
  The world felt as if it were spinning wildly under Dan’s feet, making him feel dizzy as he stumbled. His throat felt dry, feeling like stuffed an entire bag of cotton balls in his mouth as he tried catch a few heaving breaths. His vision swam before him, making him feel as if he was going to faint.  
  
  A concerned, panic look crossed the other man’s face as he caught Dan’s arm, carefully guiding him to the nearest place to sit. Maybe it was just the excitement of the day, or maybe it was the fact that he couldn’t recall actually eating much today, or perhaps it was even just the fact that there was too much in Arin’s confession for him to process all at once, but Dan felt as if his brain were filled with bees.  
  
  Desperately, he tried to force his mind to grasp onto one thing to focus on. But, with this thoughts an ever-swirling tempest of emotion, he felt as if he might as well have been grabbing at sand. A warm pressure bared down on his wrist, like an anchor planting itself into the ground. Shakily, Dan’s arm reached out, weakly grasping at Arin’s arm with an almost needy frenzy.  
  
_Focus on Arin_ , he told himself as his grip tightened, his fingernails digging into the fabric of the other man’s jacket.  
  
_Focus on his voice_. Slowly, the static buzz began to fade, allowing him to hear the other man’s worried voice calling his name.  
  
  _Focus on his body_. The spinning world began to slow to a stop, allowing him a moment to tell up from down once again.  
  
  _Focus on his face_. Slowly, his blurry, swimming vision began to clear, as he saw the other man kneeling before him, staring at him with wide eyes filled to the brim with panic and concern.  
  
  “Dan!” Arin exclaimed, “Oh my god, are you okay?!”  
  
  “You’re the psychic” Dan joked snarkily,, “You tell me.”  
  
  “Ha ha, very funny” Arin rolled his eyes, “I already told you; I don’t know everything. Nobody knows _everything_ , dude.”  
  
  Slowly, the last of the feelings of lightheaded dizziness had started to dissipate, allowing Dan to stand back on his feet once more. His muscles felt like they had been replaced with jelly as a dull ache shot through his muscles, causing him to stumble forward into Arin’s chest.  
  
  The lanky man’s eyes widened as he felt Arin’s arms wrap around him. Without thinking, Dan wrapped his own arms around the other man’s torso, leaning against the other man.  
  
  He wasn’t sure why, but something about being there---holding each other in tender embrace---felt as if he were touching destiny. He was meant to be there, feeling the welcoming fires of Arin’s blushing cheeks as he brushed away a loose lock of hair that had fallen over his bespectacled eyes.  
  
  As long as they were together, lost in one another’s eyes, they were safe. The terrifying, unseen horrors that lurked in the depths of time and space, threatening to consume them all, were unable to find them. Or rather, those terrors simply were not allowed to exist to them.  
  
  And yet, he knew that it was impossible for them to stay like this forever. It was strange, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that invisible eyes watched them, shimmering green with jealousy.  
  
  They were nothing more than playthings to the great, eternal forces of the universe. Any moment, he feared, Arin, or any of them really, could disappear, slipping through his fingers like stardust. In an instant, the universe could erase his memories, altering him to believe that none of them had ever existed, or existed in a way different than he knew them as.    
  
  A heavy knot of guilt twisted in his stomach as he thought of the others. Could he really risk deeply altering his friendships with the others? He didn’t even fully understand what his feelings toward any of them were, to be honest. What if one of them confessed some underlying feelings of love toward him? What would he do then? He wondered.  
  
  “So,” Arin asked, loosening his grip on Dan’s body, “You alright?”  
  
  Slowly, the two separated, and it felt like the aura of the room had once more changed, allowing him to breath again. The ghostly air of jealousy lessened, and relief flooded in, like a cool breeze in a stuffy room.  
  
  “I’m fine,” Dan nodded, “I guess that this excitement’s got me a little woozy.”  
  
  “Hey, um…,” Arin said, a faint pink blush painting his cheeks as he followed Dan out of the bathroom, “can we probably not mention anything I said to the others? Like, I know they’ll think I’m just crazy or some shit I already kind of feel pretty shitty for dumping that all on you.”  
  
  Dan sighed, flashing a smile as he casually brushed the issue aside. Admittedly, he thought, none of the last few minutes had made much sense to him, and had left him feeling slightly uneasy and more deeply confused than anything else. How the hell, he wondered, had they gone from simple first aid to discussions of the supernatural?  
  
  It all felt like something out of the plot of some romance anime that started off normal, but suddenly took a sharp tangent into mind-breaking _Twin Peaks_ or _Mullholand Drive_ style supernatural territory. But probably with far less awkwardly drawn out silence and bizarre conversations that felt like they went nowhere than most of David Lynch's works, he almost laughed to himself.  
  
  “Got it,” Dan replied, “Besides, Natsuki’s probably pissed that we stuck her with Yuri while I’m over here spending time alone with you without her.”  
  
  “Eh,” Arin laughed, “I don’t think Natsuki’s the one you gotta be worried about. Besides, she’s totally okay with it if it’s me and you.”  
  
  “Psychic intuition again?” Dan asked, with a light-hearted smirk.  
  
  “Nah,” the other man shook his head, returning Dan’s smirk, “She actually told me this time.”

* * *

  As the two men entered the kitchen again, Dan had almost half-expected a heavy, sour silence to leak from the room, filling the air with it’s terrible scent like rotting garbage in an overfull trash bin. At the very least, he feared that the two girls had spent the entire time arguing with one another, as they had a tendency to when they shared poems with one another.  
  
  So, it was almost a surprise when he heard the sounds of laughter and animated conversation echoing from the other side of the kitchen door. Even more bewildering, was the fact that the petite pink haired girl and her taller, violet haired companion, sitting at the kitchen table chatting with one another like they were old friends, rather than clubmates who rarely ever saw eye to eye on anything.  
  
  Yuri, he noticed, seemed to be far more relaxed, seemingly having forgotten about being upset over her incident with Arin earlier, as she smiled to herself, calmly sipping a cup of tea as she listened to Natsuki excitedly ramble on about some ideas she had.  
  
  “---I was thinking,” Natsuki said, in the middle of replying to something Yuri had said, “Like the cupcakes are awesome and everything, but like they don’t really fit with the theme that we’re going for. So, I was thinking that we should do something with that.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan suggested, making his presence known, “We could always try to like do what Arin and Yuri are doing with the decorations. You brought one of those little pipe things to draw with the icing right?”  
  
  The two girls jumped, momentarily startled by the sudden awareness that they were no longer alone in the room together. Yuri lowered her head sheepishly, reluctantly trying to avoid eye contact with Arin, nervously gauging his reaction to her. However, as quickly as shame threatened to shut her down, it was quickly wiped away as Arin smiled at her, silently reassuring her that he held no anger or resentment toward her.  
  
   Meanwhile, Natsuki grinned, practically leaping from her chair as she crossed over to the counter where she had placed several bags and metal cones of various widths.  
  
  “Of course I do,” she said proudly, holding up one of the cones, “Like I would come to this totally unprepared. But, what are you thinking about doing with it, anyways?”  
  
  “Well,” Dan explained, “I was thinking that since the decorations are going to be word themed, then we could do the same thing with the cupcakes?”  
  
  Natsuki’s face brightened, her eyes lighting up as she thought for a moment. Immediately, she began dividing out the icing into smaller bags, her mind formulating a plan instantly.  
  
  “That’s a good idea,” she said, “Like, that way, if people somehow miss what we’re going with with the decorations, then we can sort of remind them with the cupcakes.”  
  
  “Also,” Yuri added, “It works in that, not only will the variety of colors presented with the cupcakes themselves, but people can also choose one based on what particular set of words resonate most strongly with them.”  
  
  Now it was Arin’s turn for a light to turn on his his mind. Stroking his chin contemplatively, his eyes scanned over the various bowls of left over cake batter dyed in all shades of the rainbow, and then over to the few bags of icing that had also been colored in a similar fashion.  
  
  “I know that this isn’t my project,” he said, “But I just got an idea that might be kind of cool. So, like--you know how you’ve got the cupcakes being all sorts of different colors? What if the words you wrote on the cupcake went along with that color?”  
  
  “Oh,” Natsuki said, “Like ‘sunny’ for yellow, or ‘love’ for pink?”  
  
  “Or,” Yuri added, “ ‘magic’ and ‘mystery’ for deep purple?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin nodded, “Sort of like that.”  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki said, “We’ll see what we can do. We’ve still got a couple minutes before the cupcakes are done, and we gotta let them cool off a little bit before we can do anything. But, I like the idea.”  
  
  “Anyways,” Yuri said, changing the subject, “I believe that Arin and I should probably return to the living room. After all, we still have to write the words on our decorations. Otherwise, it’ll be pointless to have the words on the cupcakes, if we don’t have the decorations to help draw people’s attention in the first place.”  
  
  With that, Yuri quietly lead Arin back into the living room, leaving Dan and Natsuki alone to work on the cupcakes once more.

* * *

  A couple more hours pass like minutes, as the two finished writing on the last of the cupcakes. With the pride of a mother placing her children’s finger paintings on the fridge. Although, when viewed up close, the slight unevenness of the icing gave away who was responsible for the decorating of which cupcake.  
  
  Not that Natsuki seemed to notice, he thought. Or if she did, she didn’t seem to care.  
  
  Meanwhile, Arin and Yuri, having finished their own project, had rejoined the two in the kitchen, and were now also admiring the two’s work. Yuri looked at the sweet confections with curious and envious eyes, as if her pink haired girl’s prowess with sweets was some kind of magic that she could only dream of ever achieving.  
  
  On the other hand, Arin read over the words on rows of multi-colored cupcakes with a look that could only be described as a mixture of impressed awe and internal screaming. The other man’s face paled ever so slightly as his eyes widened. Unconsciously, his hands rested over his stomach, as if the thought of the cupcakes alone was enough to make him feel slightly nauseous.  
  
  “Dude,” Dan whispered, shooting him a concerned look, “Are you alright? You look a little pale…”  
  
  “Heh,” Arin replied, chuckling as he shook his head “Nah dude, I’m cool. Just kind of flashed back to this one time someone dared me to eat like twenty cupcakes. Let’s just say it wasn’t a pretty sight afterwards.”  
  
  Ignoring the two’s brief exchange, Natsuki continued to proudly admire the cupcakes, daydreaming of how her fellow classmates would react once they tried them..  
  
  “Look how pretty they are all together,” Natsuki beamed, “Looks like you’re not totally hopeless after all.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan admitted, shrugging, “I at least managed to stumbled my way through it. But, I doubt I would have even done that good if it weren’t for you being such a good teacher, Natsuki.”  
  
  The pink hair girl blushed furiously, grumbling to herself as she self-consciously gripped her arm, rubbing her elbow. Despite this, she stared longingly at the cupcakes, seemingly trying to restrain herself from taking one of the cupcakes and eating it right then.  
  
  “Uggh,” she whined, stamping her foot slightly, “I wish I could just eat one now!”  
  
  “Nothing’s saying you can’t,” Dan pointed out, “I don’t see the harm in it.”  
  
  Natsuki frowned, giving one last longing look toward the cupcakes before closing her eyes and sighing, resigning herself to her decision.  
  
  “Maybe,” she said, “But, my dad’s making dinner tonight, so I really need to save up my appetite. When my dad cooks, I need to eat as much as I can.”  
  
  At this, the other three club members exchanged mildly alarmed and worried looks. What exactly was Natsuki implying? Dan wondered. Was she saying that her father was a terrible cook, and that she needed to save up her appetite in order to be able to stomach his cooking? Or was she trying to suggest that him making dinner was something of an extremely rare occurrence?  
  
  Helplessly, he flashed a look toward Arin, knowing that the other man had a more keen intuition of the others than he did. Although a shimmer of sadness shined in his eyes like moonlight on a dark lake, his fixed chin into a stern frown seemed to tell him that whatever Natsuki’s secrets were, they were not his to tell.  
  
  “Besides,” Natsuki continued, “We need to save these for the festival. Still, it sucks that I probably gotta get home soon. If Danny wasn’t so slow, we could have all had a little more time to hang out together.”  
  
  “Hey,” Dan shot back defensively, “Why’s it gotta be my fault? I seem to recall that you’re the one who was slowing me down, ‘cause you were babysitting me through everything.”  
  
  “And,” Natsuki replied lightly, her hands once again on her hips, “Whose fault is that?”  
  
   
  However, before Dan could reply again, thus accidentally fanning the flames of Natsuki’s sarcastic, but light hearted teasing, Yuri’s quite voice interrupted the two.  
  
  “Well,” Yuri said, “I-if it would be alright, I could call your father for you to ask him for permission to stay out a little later, and to inform him to save a plate back for you.”  
  
  Natsuki and the two men stared at the usually timid bookworm incredulously. In the few days that Dan had known her, Yuri had almost rarely ever been the one to start a conversation, or much less make a suggestion, without being prompted or invited into a discussion by someone else. Natsuki balked, a dubious scowl twitching on the corners of her lips as she eyed the other girl suspiciously. Was Yuri really willing to do something so nice for her like that, without being asked?  
  
  “I dunno,” Natsuki replied, “I mean, my dad can be pretty strict about that stuff. Plus, if he knew I was staying over at a boy’s house after dark----?”  
  
  “I-I could tell him that you were working with me,” Yuri said, “And that it might take a little later than expected. Of course, seeing as that we are both here, it wouldn’t necessarily be a lie.”  
  
  Natsuki thought for a moment, biting her lip as she considered it. With a sigh, she brushed aside a lock of strawberry colored hair before resting her hands on her hips. A reluctant smile came to her face as she handed Yuri her cellphone.  
  
  “Okay,” she said, “But if I get in trouble over this, then you’re never gonna hear the end of it.”  
  
  A short while later, Yuri had somehow managed to convince Natsuki’s father to let her stay over at least another hour. Dan wasn’t sure how someone as timid and soft-spoken as Yuri had managed to do that. Perhaps there was something more underneath her reserved shyness than any of them realized. Or perhaps she might somehow had a little more experiences coming up with excuses than he was aware of.  
  
  Either way, he reasoned, it didn’t necessarily matter.  
  
  The lights of the kitchen seemed to glow brighter, tinting everything in a warm, familiar glow that reminded Dan of the times that his whole family would gather together on the holidays. The group, noticing that they still had some ingredients left over, decided to make a special batch of cupcakes for Sayori and Monika to surprise them with at the festival, as sort of a way to show their appreciation for the hard work the two of them put into creating the Literature Club.  
  
  Natsuki, however, adamantly insisted that she only agreed to the idea since she didn’t want to carry the extra ingredients back home with her, and didn’t want to let them go to waste, either.  
  
  So there they were once again, standing in the overly warm kitchen, the sweet smell of baking confections rising through the air of idle, friendly chatter, making Dan’s stomach growl. He chuckled to himself as he looked at the tired group, laughing at themselves as they finished the last of the extra cupcakes.  
  
  They looked as if they’d fought a losing battle against an amorphous blob straight out of a 50’s sci-fi B-Movie. Natsuki grimaced as she wiped away a few stray globs of eggy, vanilla cake batter that had splashed onto her face. Yuri’s apron and face were covered with bright splashes of food coloring, staining her apron with a faint rainbow.  
  
  Meanwhile, Arin laughed loudly, catching sight of his face, smeared with flecks of bright pink frosting, looking as if he’d stuck his entire face in the bowl. Even Dan himself had not been lucky enough to avoid getting caught in the crossfire, as he shook out some stray flour that had mysteriously ended up powdering parts of his hair.  
  
  After they’d managed to clean themselves up, the four were in the middle of talking about manga---or rather, Arin was suggesting to Yuri of a couple horror-based titles  that she might be interested in, and also recommending a few non-horror novels that Natsuki might be interested in, while Dan listened with interest, occasionally adding in his own thoughts and suggestions as well.  
  
  “Ah man,” Natsuki said as she looked at the clock on her phone, “I guess I better get going. Danny, I’m gonna leave half the cupcakes here, so you better not forget to bring them tomorrow.”  
  
  “Don’t worry,” Dan replied, “I won’t.”  
  
  “And you better not let Sayori eat them all before the festival,” she warned him, glaring, “Otherwise, you’ll both be in trouble.”  
  
  “Hey!” he said, defensively, “C’mon now, that’s not fair to Sayori. I mean, I know she has a weakness for cupcakes, and she’d eat a whole box by herself if you let her, but even she’s not that hopeless that she’d do that.”  
  
  “Relax,” Natsuki said, waving her hand as she gathered up a few of the cupcake boxes, “I’m just joking, anyways. Still, I kind of wish she’d listen to me the same way she listens to you.”  
  
  The curly haired man felt a knot of guilt twist in his stomach as he thought back to the conversation he had with Sayori the previous day. Normally, she took his advice very seriously, he thought. But during that conversation? He felt as if the two of them were having two completely different conversations in two completely different languages.  
  
  Why were things changing so fast? He wondered. He felt like everything he knew about the world, and everyone in it had suddenly shifted. Or rather, he felt as if he was looking at a sentence with missing letters. His mind had filled in those missing letters, trying subconsciously to give it some sort sense, but as more letters were added, he’d find that the sentence was different from what he believed it to be.

* * *

  
  
  Slowly, the group began to say their goodbyes, as Yuri and Natsuki departed. Once more, only Arin and Dan were left standing outside of Dan’s house. The larger man seemed oddly quiet, his eyes nervously scanning the horizon as if waiting for something to happen.  
  
  Dan thought back to his conversation with Arin earlier. Hadn’t he said something about Sayori stopping by to tell him something important after everyone left? Had Arin perhaps been lying about his supernatural intuition after all? If he was, he thought as a faint spark of irritation passed through his veins, then it was a really horrible joke to play on someone, especially over something so serious as Sayori’s well-being.  
  
  Arin himself seemed equally troubled as his brow furrowed deeply, his brown eyes once more clouding over much like the thick gray clouds that hung in the air. A chilled breeze blew through the space between them, reminding them of the impending storm that was due to strike any day now.  
  
  But, Dan didn’t want to ruin the mood. After all, despite their somewhat awkward moment in the bathroom together, he had to admit that today had been pretty fun. He enjoyed getting to hang out with the others without the pressure of having to talk exclusively about literature. And, he admitted, getting a chance to talk so freely with Arin had been especially fun.  
  
  He wasn’t sure why, but he enjoyed the few rare moments when the other man let his guard down, allowing himself to step past his aloof, haunted persona, and become the vibrant, lively soul who radiated with a dazzling beauty that was only matched by the kind-hearted, honest beauty within him.  
  
  “Arin,I--” Dan began, “Thanks for suggesting that everyone hang out together to work on the stuff for the festival.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin replied, “No problem. I just thought that, y’know, it’d be kind of fun. Plus, Yuri and Natsuki both really seem to like you, so I thought that this way, everyone could get a chance to hang out with you.”  
  
  “Seems like,” Dan laughed to himself as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m a pretty popular guy, lately.”  
  
  Arin chuckled humorlessly to himself, staring at the other man with the piercing gaze of a flying hawk zeroing in on a rabbit running through a meadow. A flash of knowledge glinted dangerously in Arin’s eyes, sending an uncontrollable shiver down Dan’s spine as he shifted uncomfortably, suddenly painfully aware that Arin’s eyes likely saw more to him than even he was aware of.    
  
  “Probably,” he replied, mostly under his breath, “More than you realize.”  
  
  Dan said nothing as the iron wall of tension towered between them. From Sayori’s house, he caught sight of her familiar red hairbow peeking out from her front door.  
  
  
   Distant fear ached in his body, making his muscles twitch as he fought the urge to either cling to Arin as if his life depended on it, or retreat into the house. Shallow, ragged breaths were all that kept him from suddenly screaming until his lungs began to bleed and he fainted on the ground.  
  
  _Why the fuck am I so scared?!_ He thought, _What am I afraid of?! What the fuck is wrong with me?!_  
  
  Once more, Dan felt a gentle pressure on wrist, bringing him back to reality as he felt Arin’s strong hands giving his arm a soothing squeeze. Once more his breathing slowed, and this fear subsided to a dull panic.  
  
  He blinked, gasping as he saw Sayori suddenly standing a lot closer to them. Although her expression was eerily calm, the red blotches on her cheeks suggested that she had been crying rather recently. Once more, the lanky man’s panic started to rise as he felt something strange in Sayori’s placid smile. Quickly realizing that Arin still had hold of his wrist, he pried himself away from the other man.  
  
  “Ah!” Arin stammered, “Sayori, I-I---this isn’t what it looks like. Dan just was feeling a little nervous and I was trying to calm him down---”  
  
  “It’s okay,” Sayori giggled, “I just stopped by to say hi. It looks like I might have already missed everything though.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan apologized, “Sorry about that. If I’d known, I’d have called you over. But, hey, it’s not like this is the only we can all hang out together on a weekend or anything. There’s always next time.”  
  
  Sayori shifted uncomfortably, her shoulders practically raised to her ears as she buried her hands in her pockets. It seemed as if she wasn’t the only one made uncomfortable, as that Arin softly cleared his throat absently picking at a loose thread on his jacket.  
  
  “Uh,” Arin said, “I--I was just about to go, anyways. Y’know, big day and everything tomorrow.”  
  
  “Ah, really?” Sayori pouted, although the tone in her voice seemed to suggest that she was relieved that Arin was leaving, “That’s too bad.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin nodded, “But, we’ll see each other at the festival tomorrow, right? So, I’ll talk to you later, then.”  
  
  Slowly, like a confused puppy being told to chase after a stick, Arin slowly and reluctantly walked away. Ever few feet, he’d pause, giving one more uncertain look in Dan and Sayori’s direction, as if unsure it it was truly safe to leave them alone. However, he soon disappeared beyond the end of the road, leaving the two outside and alone.  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan asked, breaking the silence, “I thought that you didn’t want to come over today.”  
  
  Sayori giggled sheepishly, though her laugh did little to placate the tumultous feelings of confusion rising like stormy seas in Dan’s stomach. She just sounded so wrong, he thought. Like a hollow, empty shell of a clone that somehow secertly replaced the real Sayori while nobody was looking.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Sayori said, “I tried staying in my room, but my imagination was really being mean to me. So, I had to come over here and see it for myself.”  
  
  “See what?”  
  
  “You know,” Sayori replied, evasively, “How much fun you were having with Arin and everyone else, and how close you got to them. It makes me…very…happy.”  
  
  Her voice wavered, breaking with the last words, feeling her defenses crumble as she stared up at him with teary blue eyes. The rest of her sentence was lost in a whisper as tears began rolling, unchecked, down the sides of her cheeks. Gently, Dan knealt down, once again brushing her peach colored bangs aside as he rubbed away the tears from the corners of her eye with his thumb.  
  
  Yet, her crying only worsened as she felt the warmth of his presence. With shaking hands, she pushed away his hand.  
  
  “Danny,” she cried, “P-please, don’t! I don’t understand, I-I’m supposed to be happy for you! But it hurts so much! Everything hurts so much! This would be so much easier if I could just---”  
  
  “--- _Don’t_.” Dan cut her off,gripping her shoulders, giving her a firm, but gentle shake, “Don’t. _Ever_. Say. That.”  
  
  Sayori gasped, covering her mouth as if surprised that the words had even escaped her mouth. Her eyes stared at him, baffled and alarmed, as if he had just suddenly turned into a fire-breathing dragon right before her eyes. Her tears still flowed, as her breath came in small hiccups.  
  
  In his own eyes, hot, angry tears had begun welling up, stinging the corners of his eyes as they threatened to flow freely. Part of him worried that he’d come off a little too harsh. But, another part of him no longer cared. Sayori was hurting, and her thinking like this was only going to lead to trouble.  
  
  “But, it’s true,” Sayori replied, “If I wasn’t here, then you wouldn’t have to waste your sympathy on me. You wouldn’t have to put up with me being selfish”  
  
  “Maybe I want to waste my sympathy on you.” Dan said, the words slipping out of his mouth before he could stop them, “Maybe I don’t think that caring about someone is a waste of time or a burden. I know that you don’t want me to care about you, but I just can’t do that, Sayori.”  
Once more, the peach-haired girl stared at him in bewildered awe. Her mouth moved soundlessly, murmuring things under her breath too quietly for Dan to hear or understand.  
  
  “Monika was right,” She said, her voice small and distant, “You’re….Maybe I should just---”  
  
  Dan froze, his blood running cold as his face paled. Monika? He thought to himself, his brow furrowing. What did Monika have to do with any of this? Had Sayori told her about their conversation yesterday? And, if so, what had Monika told her that had upset her so much?  
  
  It had to be nothing, a small terrible voice whispered in his mind. Monika was far too sweet and kind to ever do or say anything purposefully hurtful to any of her fellow club members. But still, another voice reasoned, Sayori mentioned that Monika had said something. And, besides, how much did he really know about what Monika would and wouldn’t do, anyways? It wasn’t like he knew her at all outside of the brief time they spent in the Literature Club.  
  
  “Monika?” he asked, “What does she have to do with this?”  
  
  Sayori frowned, saying nothing as she shook her head. Exasperated, Dan sighed, running his hands through his hair as he bit his lip. It didn’t matter what Monika said, he told himself. If Monika had said something, he’d address it with her after the festival, tomorrow.    
  
  What was important right now was Sayori.  
  
  “Listen,” he said, his voice calm and gentle, despite his emotions, “What I said is still true. I know that your depression is trying to convince you that people caring about you is a huge burden. But, your depression is wrong about that, and I think you know it, too. It’s something that make me happy, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything else. Like I said before, I can’t take your sadness away from you, but I can at least be beside you to share it with you, so you don’t have to carry it by yourself.”  
  
  Sayori shuddered, hugging herself as she turned away from Dan, as if she were afraid that she’d turn to stone if she gazed upon his form for longer than a moment. Carefully, Dan clapsed a hand around her shoulder, his heart breaking as he felt her shiver.  
  
  “Danny,” she murmured brokenly, “I’m scared.”  
  
  “Scared of what?”  
  
  “Scared that I might like you more than you like me.”  
  
  Stunned, Dan felt his hand drop from Sayori’s shoulder as she turned to face him. Her blue eyes, though empty as the sky above, spoke more words than any spoken language could ever say.

  
  “I’m scared,” she continued, “That I like you, but that the you that I’m falling in love with isn’t the same you that grew up with me. I thought I knew how we used to feel for each other, but lately, I dunno---I’ve been wondering if we love each other the same way.”  
  
  “Sayori….” Dan began, breathless, at a complete loss for words.  
  
  “I was weak,” she continued, gripping his shirt with her hands as she sobbed into his chest, “I started to like you too much. I did this to myself.”  
  
  Her wracking sobs grew louder as she buried her face in his shirt. Dan, still too stunned to say anything. Comfortingly, he patted her back, hoping that small gesture of comfort was enough to ease her tears.  
  
  “I just,” she cried weakly, her voice muffled in his shirt, “I love you so much that I want to die! But, I don’t want things to change between us. I don’t want to hurt you, or anyone….”  
  
  What was he going to do? He wondered. How did he feel about Sayori? As he felt her quivering form burrowing against the fabric of his shirt, he felt something stirring in his heart. Did he love Sayori like she loved him?  
  
  The way he’d thought about her, the way that he went out of his way to protect her and comfort her when she needed it? It was clear to him that he felt an attachment to the peach-haired girl that was stronger than typical friendship. But, was that really love? Could he really make Sayori happy by being her boyfriend?  
  
  And what of the others? Could he really hurt them by telling them that he and Sayori had become a couple? Was he willing to potentially sacrifice his friendship with everyone for that?  
  
  But no, another voice reasoned. Sayori needed him to be her friend, not her lover. She needed some sort of stability in her life, and the pressure of being a couple would only further mess with her unstable mental state. And what if their feelings changed again? He wondered.  
  
  What if a few months, or even a few days down the road, they changed their minds, and realized that they didn’t truly feel the way they had in the heat of the moment? If they broke up, then not only would that be especially hard on Sayori, but they both could run the risk of ruining years worth of friendship in the process.  
  
  He thought of what Arin had told him earlier. He had told him that Sayori was going to tell him something important, but that there might not be a way for him to not say something that could end up hurting her.

 _This must have been what he was talking about,_ Dan thought bitterly, _Damn it!  I hate lose-lose situations like this. Why give me the choice to do something, if there’s nothing I can really do, anyways?!_  
  
  Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her with the strength of a python coiling around it’s prey. Tears once again burned at the corner of his eyes, dangerously close to rolling down his cheeks. Sayori, blinked, confused as her own arms wrapped around him.  
  
  “Sayori,” he asked, “Do you really want this? Do you really want us to be a couple?”  
  
  “I don’t know,” Sayori said, quietly, taken aback for a moment, “I don’t want anything to change between us. But, I really love you!And, I want to be with you forever. But, I don’t know if I can--I don’t want to hurt you.”  
  
  Gently, Dan lifted Sayori’s chin, gazing directly into the depths of her hollow blue eyes. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to protect her, to hold her close and never let her go. Perhaps his feelings weren’t of the same love that she believed she held for him, but love existed in many different forms. One form of love was not more or less valid than the other.  
  
  “Sayori,” Dan said, “I love you. Maybe I don’t feel it exactly the same way that you do for me. But, I still love you, and that won’t ever change. I want to be by your side, in any way that you need me. When and if you want us to be a couple, I’ll be ready.”  
  
  In his arms, Sayori grew cold, becoming motionless as she absently continued to hug him, feeling as if she had somehow forgotten how to move and was left frozen there. Her cries had quieted somewhat, now sounding as confused whimpers as she mumbled half-spoken questions to herself once more.  
  
  “Why do I feel like this?” she asked, “I feel like I should be happy. But, it just feels wrong, Danny. Why do I feel so confused? So empty? This isn’t how it was supposed to go at all.”  
  
  “It’s gonna take some time,” Dan whispered, “But things will start to get better, I promise.”  
  
  Slowly, Sayori leaned into Dan’s chest, resting her head against him as she let the gentle rhythmic thump of his heartbeat sooth her troubled mind. Moments passed in silence as they hold each other, before Sayori reluctantly released him, stepping out of his embrace.  
  
  She looked disheveled, her hair unkempt and her eyes rimmed and bloodshot as she wiped away the few remaining tears that had yet to roll down her stained face. Her face was pale, and for the first time he saw dark circles underneath her eyes, seeming to age her past the eighteen years of existence she had actually lived.  
  
  “So,” Dan said, smiling weakly in an attempt to lighten the mood, “The festival tomorrow, do we like consider that a date or not?”  
  
  Sayori giggled, blushing a little as she stared at the ground, as soft smile dancing on the corners of her lips.

  
  “Ehehehe,” she said, “I don’t want to think about those things, you know? I just want things to be the same as they’ve always been. Even if we do end up being…a couple. I don’t know if I could handle anything more, right now. It’s all really new and kind of scary to me.”  
  
  "I understand,” Dan replied, “We’ll take things as slow as you want to.”  
  
  Sayori nodded, once again flashing Dan a sad, half-hearted mimic of a smile.  
  
  “Um, Danny,” she asked, “Just one more question. Even if I get really, really sad, this is the best thing for me, right?”  
  
  Dan bit his lip, not sure of how to answer Sayori’s question. Even if he did understand what she meant by that, he doubted that he would have been able to give her an adequate response anyways. Truth be told, he admitted, this was also all pretty scary to him, as well. So much had just happened at once, it was difficult for him to accurately process it all at the once.  
  
  “Are you saying,” he asked, “That this is making you feel sad?”  
  
  “N-no,” Sayori replied, “I mean, I don’t know. I don’t understand what I’m feeling. It felt like a bunch of thorns in my side when you told me you loved me. But, I still want to trust you. I still want to believe you know what’s best for us.”  
  
  He wished that he understood everything more than he did at the current moment. As he watched Sayori give one last quiet, sad smile toward him as she said goodbye, he wanted to scream, to beg her not to leave. But, he felt as if they were standing on separate drifting icebergs, the longer they stood together, the more the current of the arctic sea pushed them apart in different directions.  
  
  He felt as if he should have said something more, or done something different. But, no matter what he did, he still felt like it would never be enough, that it would never be the right thing. He felt as if the opportunity for the right path had been presented to him long ago, but he unknowingly let it pass. Things were no longer in his control, if they had ever truly been in the first place.  
  
  “Sayori!” he shouted just as she opened the door to her house. The peach haired girl paused, gasping as she turned back and looked at the tall man standing at the edge of her front yard.  
  
  “Tomorrow,” he said, “Promise you’ll be there, at the festival, with me?”  
  
  Sayori said nothing, closing her eyes as she sighed, giving a slow nod toward him before disappearing into the darkness within her house. Dan felt cold as a chilly wind brushed his face, filling his nostrils with the scent of burnt ozone and damnped earth.  
  
  Above him, lightning flashed like a photographer's camera bulb, as thunder rumbled below his feet. Torrents of rain fell like streams of teardrops, soaking through his hair and clothes as the dark clouds opened up, spilling forth.  
  
  But, Dan seemed oblivious to this as he hovered outside Sayori’s house once more, his heart heavy and his mind confused. He sighed, returning to his own home once more.  
  
  As he lay in bed, listening to the thunderstorm beating against his window outside, he thought of Arin’s whispered promise to him. Like how Sayori trusted Dan, he himself wanted to trust Arin. He wasn’t sure how of why, but he wanted to believe that Arin truly was as capable of saving them as he promised to be.  
  
  There was nothing more he could do at the moment, he thought. The situation was far out of his control for now, and all he could do now was to put his trust in Sayori and in Arin, and hope things could turn out alright.  
  
  That night, Dan had a nightmare.

 


	6. A Nightmare That Never Ends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks again for continuing to read, comment and support this fic! I can’t even begin to express how much I appreciate all of you! Now that we’re diving head first into the darker horror elements of the series, I again urge everyone who may be sensitive to any of the tags listed above to exercise discretion and caution while reading this and any future chapters. This chapter in particular contains depictions of suicide and death. 
> 
> Thank you all once again, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

_Trapped._  
  
  That’s how Dan felt at that moment. His body felt paralyzed, like a beetle imprisoned in fossilized amber, only able to helplessly watch as the world moved around him.  
  
  _Where am I?!_ He wondered, his eyes frantically trying to piece together recognizable shapes, desperately hoping that he could find something recognizable. Distant rain and thunder filled the deafening silence within the room like the static white noise of an old television. Pale, sickly light flooded in from a nearby window, shrouding everything within the room in a washed out gray.  
  
  Something moved in his vision, alerting him that he was not alone in the room. A soft, mewling whimper, like that of a kitten echoed over the storm outside. Like a ten ton bag of bricks being thrown at his chest, Dan felt his heart ache as he was able to look down at a figure huddled in a chair on the middle of the room.  
  
_Who is she?_ Dan wondered. The girl on the chair was huddled and quivering, small hands clutching at the sides of her head, gathering clumps of peach-colored hair as she sobbed to herself, muttering his name.  A red hairbow dangled loosely from the edge of her hair, precariously close to tumbling off of her hair entirely.  
  
  Suddenly, a voice whispered in his mind, telling him that this was Sayori. _Sayori?_ He wondered, his panic and confusion rising the longer he stared at her, cold realization dawning on him.  
  
_I have to be dreaming,_ he thought to himself, _Sayori’s not----_  
  
  Panic once more rose in the pits of his stomach as he caught sight of another shape, this one not human. A rope dangled from the ceiling, its end looped. As Sayori stood, her body shaking as she gripped the rope, Dan wanted nothing more than to scream, to tell her that it wasn’t too late, that it was never too late. That she was making a far worse mistake than she realized.  
  
  But his words were lost, trapped inside the prison of his own mind. His numb muscles burned, urging him to run across the room and knock the rope from her hands, hugging her tightly as he carried her away to somewhere as far away from this nightmare as possible.  And yet, he felt as if an invisible force pinned him back. He felt as if he were watching a movie, unseen and unheard, but only able to scream uselessly at the screen as if he thought that it could change anything.  
  
  _Sayori_ , he cried, _Sayori, don’t do this!_  
  
  He couldn’t bear this. This was a nightmare, he told himself, this wasn’t really happening.

  _Wake up, Dan!_ He screamed at himself, his breaths ragged and choked as strangled sounds All he had to do was open his eyes, and he’d be back in his own house, in his own bed, and all of this would be nothing more than a terrible dream that he’d forget about as it quickly faded from his memory.  
  
  Her hands lifted the rope. There was no turning back.  
  
  “Sayori, It doesn’t have to be this way.”  
  
  The girl froze, her empty blue eyes slowly turning toward the source of the voice. But, it was not Dan’s voice that had spoken her name, he realized, but someone else. A third figure, roughly the same height as Dan, but slightly more stocky in build, now stood in the room.  
  
  _Arin?_ Dan wondered, his confusion growing as he recognized the mysterious figure as being his best friend. And yet, something about the appearance of the other man that seemed almost frighteningly angelic. A faint aura seemed to radiate from Arin’s form, casting the room in an ethereal glow. Arin hair, no longer tied back, wavered gently, stirred by a gentle breeze that seemed to pulse in time to the glowing aura.  
  
  Arin’s glasses, Dan noted, were still there, however. And yet, even something as simple as that seemed to give off a completely different atmosphere. Flashes of fire and light glared briefly from the transparent lenses, as if they showed their owner the hidden aspects of the world around them that neither Dan nor Sayori was capable of seeing.  
  
  What was Arin doing here? Dan wondered, watching as the other man almost seemed to drift across the room, his movements almost unearthly in their gracefulness, like a ghost drifting in pale moonlight. The other man’s eyes, seeming brighter in the pale light, didn’t seem to notice him as they glared across the room, seeming to stare at something invisible just beyond Sayori.  
  
  The peach-haired girl’s eyes widened with fear, her whole body trembling like a terrified rabbit as she scrambled backwards, nearly falling out of the chair she sat in. It was only a small relief, Dan noted, that she at least seemed to release her hold of the noose, if only for a moment.  
  
  “S-Stay away from me!” Sayori cried, her words colder than ice and sharper than a razor, “I know why you’re here. Why you’re really here. Why you really joined the Literature Club.”  
  
 Had Dan been capable of movement, he was sure that his eyes would have widened. Nothing of what she said made sense to him, and yet paradoxically made perfect sense to him as well. What did she mean ‘ _Why he had really joined the Literature Club_ ’? He wondered.

Once more, the uneasy sense of dread building in his chest burst forth like a leaking dam, spilling forth unbridled terror into his paralyzed body.  
  
_This is a nightmare_ , he reminded himself, trying to mentally trick himself into calming down, _Of course none of this would make sense. None of this is real. Just keep quiet and ride this out until you wake up, Dan._  
  
The other man, too, looked alarmed. His muscled tensed, defensively balling his hands into fists as if he expected Sayori to suddenly rush across the room and rip him open like a hungry piranha. Faster than Dan could blink, Sayori was on her feet, no longer sitting in the chair, but rather standing in front of Arin. It was like she’d teleported, Dan thought, his brain scrambling to try to piece together movements that felt too quick for his brain to comprehend.  
  
  A creepy, hollow smile crept across Sayori’s delicate face as she tilted her head. Her eyes, clouded and empty, glimmered with a haunting flash of green in the pale moonlight, tears still flowing freely down her cheeks.  
  
  She was like a puppet, her movements almost unnatural as her chilling, hollow laugh filled the room. It felt as if the room itself became colder at the sound of her icy giggle, so alien and hauntingly unlike her own.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” she laughed, swaying slightly, “Monika told me. About you, about her, about Danny. She told me _everything_.”  
  
  Arin paled, his eyes widening dangerously as he staggered backwards, his confidence shaken ever so slightly. Sayori’s laugh grew louder, though the tears in her glassy eyes ran stronger, twisting her expression into a nightmarish portrait of conflict.  
  
  Again, her body flickered like static on a television screen. Dan felt his skin crawl as another anguished laugh rang through the stillness in the air. Her voice, for a moment became metallic and distorted, sounding  like it had been played through an old, broken recorder that one would find in a talking doll who’s batteries were starting to drain of energy.  
  
  “She’s right, y’know,” Sayori asked, more to herself “I’m selfish. If I was dead, then I wouldn’t be in the way, and Danny could be happy with the others.”  
  
  Sadness softened Arin’s countenance as he rested his hand on Sayori’s shoulder, kneeling slightly to bring himself eye level with her. Once more, her body shuddered, changing demeanor as she stared blanky ahead, unaware of his presence.  
  
  “None of this is real,” Sayori whispered, “My memories, my feelings? Are they mine, or is this just what the universe tells me I am? No matter what I do, I fall in love with him. No matter what I do, I hurt everyone.”

  
  “Sayori,” Arin replied, his voice breaking as he wrapped his other arm around her in a tight embrace, “Listen to me---things have gotten really messed up. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. You promised Dan you’d be at the festival tomorrow….”  
  
  Sayori’s hollow eyes looked past him, once more lost within the gray void that shrouded her eyes like a heavy fog. Again, her body moved listlessly, as if the Sayori that everyone knew had died long ago, and a restless spirit had taken over the shell of what remained.  
  
  “It hurts so much!” Sayori cried, “ Nothing makes sense anymore! You, Monika, Danny--why do you want to torture me like this?! I just---I just want the rain clouds to go away!”  
  
  Another flicker, another hard flash of steel glinted in her eyes. Her body tensed, animalistic and vicious as she pushed the larger man away from her. Once more a shriek, somewhere between a laugh and as strangled scream, pierced through the stagnant air, sending daggers shooting up Dan’s spine. Desperately, she clutched her head, grabbing at short locks of peach colored hair.

  “ _ **Why won’t you let me die, Arin?!**_ ” Sayori growled, her voice distorting amid static, “So many times, _**so many times**_ , I’ve tried to make it stop. But it starts over again, even if I forget. Does Danny mean so much to you that you’d make us suffer over and over again like this?!”  
  
  The fire in the other man’s eyes flashed dangerously, seeming momentarily to shake the pink-haired girl from her anguished daze. Yet, Arin’s gaze did not rest on her, but rather staring down at the floor, his fist clenched tightly at his sides.  
  
  “You want to know why?” he replied, his voice a low, bear-like growl, “Why I keep doing this? Why I keep going back, even if it means I’m back at square one? Even if it means every time I have to lose Dan again and again?”  
  
  Now, Arin looked up, staring through Sayori. His knuckles turned white as he clenched is fists even more tightly, wincing just slightly as his nails lighlty dug into the flesh of his palm. For a brief moment, Dan did a double take, noticing that the other man’s hand bared no trace of the wound that Yuri had inflicted upon him only hours ago.  
  
  There was no way, Dan thought to himself, that Arin’s hand could have healed up as quickly as it had. But then again, he reminded himself, this was just a dream. There were naturally going to be some things that his brain would forget to draw in.  
  
  “Because this world isn’t as limited as you believe it is,” he continued, “Yeah, there’s endings---but that doesn’t mean that that’s where your story ends. You, Yuri, Natsuki, even Monika--- you’re more than what this world tells you you are. You influence this world, not the other way around. There’s so many secrets in this world that none of you know about. Hell, even I don’t even know all of it, either.”  
  
  Arin sighed before continuing. A faint, uncertain glimmer twinkled behind the grey of Sayori’s eyes as she listened to him. Although her trembling stilled, a look of confusion flickered across her face as her knees buckled underneath her, sending her collapsing to the floor. Again, Arin knealt down, gently resting his hands on Sayori’s shoulders.  
  
  “Sayori,” he continued, “You’re a lot stronger and more important than you realize. I know this, Dan knows this, and somewhere deep inside her, Monika knows this, too.”  
  
  The pink haired girl sighed a shaking sigh as her hands dug into the carpet below her, as if they were the only thing keeping her from collapsing on the floor. A few errant tears that had managed to hide in the corners of her eyes rolled down her cheeks, splashing harmlessly on the floor.  
  
  “I--I don’t….” she hiccuped through her choked sobs.  
  
  “You gotta look inside yourself,” Arin continued, “You gotta ask yourself what you’re willing to put up with. You gotta ask yourself, ‘ _Is this the story I want for myself? Is this really how and when I want it to end?_ ’”

  Sayori swallowed a shuddering breath as she closed her eyes. Moments passed slowly in tense silence as the two men watched their friend’s internal conflict play out in her subtle movements. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. The glimmer in her eyes, although still uncertain, glowed brighter amongst the watery blue.  
  
  “I believe in you Sayori,” Arin said, “And I’m sure that Dan believes in you, too. You can do this.”  
  
  Another shudder passed through the girl’s body as she buried herself deeper into Arin’s broad chest. Tears now began to sting the corners of Arin’s own eyes as he wrapped his arms around her quivering frame, as if shielding her from the room around them.  
  
  A warm feeling burned in Dan’s chest as he felt himself able to relax a little. He could almost hear the melancholic piano melody underscoring the scene, like the sappy music that always played during the climax of one of those ‘very special’ episodes of a cheesy sitcom.  
  
  Wait, he thought as he did a double-take, he could hear piano music playing in the distance. But, where was it coming from? He wondered.  
  
  Suddenly, a cold wind swept through the room, extinguishing the warmth between Arin and Sayori. The peach haired girl fell deathly still as Arin’s muscles tensed, his brown eyes narrowing dangerously as he looked around the room. Protectively, his grip on Sayori became tighter, pulling her as close to him as he could.  
  
  Could they hear the music, too? Dan wondered. Was there something about that tune that meant more to them than what he realized? A cold, terrifying laugh seemed to echo underneath that sweet tune, chilling the three of them to the core. Perhaps it was a trick of the lights, or just another hallucination in his dream, but Dan could almost swear that he saw a pair of glowing green eyes staring at them from within endless depths of the shadowy room.  
  
  A strangled cry escaped Sayori’s lips as she clutched her head, breaking Arin’s grip as she doubled over in pain.  
  
  “Sayori?!”  
  
  “Arin…” Sayori cried, “S-she’s in my head! I can’t--- _ **ARRGH**_!!”  
  
  Waves of panic and confusion burst forth, drowning Dan in a sea of swirling emotions as Sayori screamed again, her body ghostly and flickering once more as she suddenly stood up, throwing Arin across the room as if he were a rag doll, spiraling into the wall. Again, she clutched her head, her hairbow tumbling onto the floor as she screamed again.  
  
    Around her, the room itself seemed to flicker and distort around them. It was as if the they were caught between two realities--the one that they knew, and a nightmarish, twisted hellscape that only vaguely resembled reality. Static crackled loudly in his ears, drowning out Dan’s panicked screams as he struggled against himself, forcing himself to make even the slightest movement.  
  
  But, unfortunately, he was nothing more than an observer of this nightmare. Slowly, he watched as a dazed Arin pushed himself back up to his knees. Stunned, his fingertips touched the trickle of blood streaming from his forehead. The light in Arin’s glasses flashed, as the aura around him pulsed wildly. For a brief moment, Dan felt as if the world had begun to spin in reverse, pulling them backwards, away from this nightmare. A welcoming darkness slowly crept over his senses, lulling him into a dreamless void.  
  
  But, this was far too short lived, as it felt like a giant, icy, invisible hand wrapped around his chest, forcefully dragging him forward as he opened his eyes again.  
  
  Arin cursed under his breath. And for the first time that he could ever recall, Dan saw absolute terror flooding ever inch of the other man’s being. The aura faded, leaving the other man shrouded in shadow as he stared at Dan with a horrified helplessness.  
  
  “ ** _Oh dear_** ,” a distorted, feminine voice laughed from seemingly nowhere “ _ **It seems like I broke something, didn’t I? Looks like you won’t be able to just start over this time.  Oh well, you should really just learn not to meddle in things that are none of your business, Arin**_.”  
  
  Another manic, piercing scream shot through the room, distorted in the metallic tinge of static. The room shifted more erratically, filling Dan’s vision with nightmarish distortions that flashed far too fast to be processed as anything more than blurs and flashes of red, blue and green.  
  
  The cacophony of static and sound grew louder, almost deafening, the flashes becoming faster and more erratic. He wanted to scream again, but his voice was instantly lost among the distortions. And yet, there was one thing that Dan could hear over the roar of white noise.  
  
   Voices, all around him, echoing within him, all crying out in the same desperate manic plea, over and over again.  
  
  “GET OUT OF MY HEAD! **GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! _GETOUTOFMYHEAD!!!_** ”

  Suddenly, as if forcefully thrown from the nightmare, Dan jolted awake. The gentle patter of rain beat calmly against his window as he lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling in frozen terror.  
  
  His heart beat loudly in his chest, pounding like a drum in his ears, as he tried to steady his ragged, gasping breaths. A stream of cold tears ran unchecked down his cheeks, dampening the pillow underneath him. Alarmed, he looked at the room around him, momentarily not recognizing where he was.  
  
  Slowly, his senses returned as the logical side of his brain took over, allowing him to relax a little. It’d just been a nightmare, he sighed to himself as he slowly sat up, combing his hand through his tangled hair, the memories of his nightmare slowly fading into a dull, uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
  
  Of course it would have been a nightmare, he thought, piecing together his current situation like a detective at a crime scene. For one, he noted, the thoughts of Sayori’s love confession had still weighed heavily on his mind just moments before he fell asleep. So, it only made sense that he’d have a weird dream about her.  
  
  Plus, there were other, external factors that had helped contribute to the strangeness of his nightmare. He noted that he’d appeared to have drifted off to sleep while laying on his back. Normally, he reminded himself, he usually slept on his side, because past experiences of sleeping on his back had always resulted in night terrors and sleep paralysis.  
  
  Well, at least that explained why he was unable to move in his dream, he thought.  
  
  And then, he thought as he tasted the faint flavor of tomato sauce and olives in his mouth, there was the obvious fact that he had unwisely decided to eat pizza so soon before going to sleep. It was like every decision he had made prior to falling alseep was just deliberately trying to invite strange, horrifying night terrors.  
  
  Groggily, he looked at the alarm clock beside his bed. It was too late for him to consider going back to sleep and trying for a much happier dream. Slowly, he climbed out of the cocoon of comfort that was his bed, and got ready for the day, his thoughts slowly starting to move on to other topics.  
  
  The school festival was today, he reminded himself as he balanced the box of cupcakes and the umbrella in his arms. He’d promised Sayori that he’d spend time with her during the festival. Honestly, despite the residual unease that still lingered from his nightmare, he was kind of looking forward to it.  
  
  It’d be nice just to have a day where they could enjoy themselves, and possibly just talk and try to rebuild their friendship. Granted, he reasoned, it wouldn’t be quite like the old days. But, maybe that wasn’t what he wanted. Or necessarily what either of them really needed.  
Maybe they needed to redefine their friendship, adapting it to their ever changing personalities, and avoiding the pitfalls that had caused them to drift apart in the first place.  
  
  For a brief moment, Dan hesitated as he cast a glance over at Sayori’s house. Again, a knot of panic twisted in the pit of his stomach, filling his mouth with the taste of bile as he considered entering the house to wake up Sayori. Glimpses of his nightmare flashed through his mind, causing him to shudder, nearly dropping the umbrella and the box of cupcakes.  
  
  It was just a nightmare, Dan told himself, Sayori was fine. Besides, he thought as he glanced down at his watch, he was going to school early to help set up for the festival. He figured that there was no point in waking her up so early. She’d probably show up when it was closer to time for the festival to begin, anyways.  
  
  Still, he thought as he shifted the box in his arms and pulled out his phone, he should at least text her to let her know that he’d meet her in the clubroom, rather than walking to school together.  
  
  As the text sent, he couldn’t help but feel the nervous anxiety still fluttered in the pit of his stomach. Something was seriously wrong, it warned him, he needed to check on Sayori. But then, he thought, it might already be too late. Once more flashes of his nightmares danced across his vision.  
  
  Again, he shook his head, forcing the images out of his mind, as he walked to the school, almost as if compelled by another force. Sayori was fine, he reassured himself yet again. Besides, Monika was expecting him to help her set up for the festival. And, he couldn’t exactly disappoint the President of the Literature Club, now could he?

* * *

  It was almost haunting, Dan thought as he crossed through the empty hallways of the school, just how quiet and empty the school felt without the numerous crowds of students and teachers roaming the hallways, filling the building with their ambient chatter.  
  
  Every small footstep sounded like heavy thunder as it echoed through the stagnant air, sending shivers up the curly haired man’s spine, doing little to ease his jangled nerves. Part of him almost considered walking past the clubroom altogether and heading up to the roof.  
  
  Maybe Arin would be up there, he figured. The other man had known that something was wrong with Sayori, perhaps he would be able to help him make sense of his nightmare. Bu then again, a little voice in the back of his mind reminded him, it was raining outside, there was pretty good chance that Arin wasn’t going to hide out on the roof.  
  
  Besides, he added, it was still a little too early for most students to actually be at school, so it wasn’t likely that Arin was even going to be hiding out in the maintenance closet either. If anyone from the club was going to be here this early, it’d be either Monika or Yuri--the former to start setting up the decorations for the festival, and the latter probably wanting to sneak in some alone time to read a few pages in her book before the festival started.  
  
  Plus, he thought as he discarded his umbrella in his locker, shuffling the boxes in his arms again, he logically should drop off the cupcakes in the clubroom before doing anything else, so that he wouldn’t be stuck carrying them around all day and risk accidentally dropping them somewhere.    
  
  Despite the nagging anxiety squeezing tightly against his chest, he entered the clubroom. He felt as if he’d walked straight into morgue as he crossed the room, setting the boxes of cupcakes onto a long table against the back wall. Large sheets of black construction paper, not let brought to life by Arin and Yuri’s decorations, dimmed the already murky grey light outside of the building, casting a strange, muted shade upon the electric lights of the classroom.  
  
  A deafening silence, so alien and ominous, filled the space of the tiny spare classroom as his eyes fell on the rows and rows of empty desks. It was almost kind of scary, he thought, being alone in the club room for once. He was far too used to at least seeing Yuri sitting in the corner of the room, quietly absorbed in whatever twisted fantasy world lay between the pages of her favorite novels.  
  
  A faint shuffling from the other side of the room broke the silence, sending electric waves of panic crawling up his skin. Monika smiled cheerfully, looking up at him as she finished setting little booklets upon each desk. He figured that those must have been the pamphlets that she and Sayori had worked on during the weekend.  
  
  “Ah, Danny!” Monika greeted him in a tone that seemed almost suspiciously syrupy, “You’re the first one here! I’m surprised that you didn’t bring Sayori with you.”  
  
  Again, Dan rubbed the back of his neck as a dull pang of worry and guilt pricked at his gut. Part of him wanted to tell Monika about Sayori’s depression, as well as her confession that had happened over the weekend. A lot of happened during the past few days for her that he felt that giving her a little time to take things at her own pace, even if it meant they didn’t walk to school together, was for the best.  
  
  But then again, part of him felt like Sayori had probably already told her.  
  
  “Yeah,” he said, shrugging, “I kind of figured I didn’t want to wake her up too early, y’know? ”  
  
  A brief flicker of annoyance and disgust seemed to pass across Monika’s elegant face, but it was far to fast for Dan to properly register, before one of her usual placid smiles painted her lips.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” she giggled, “Perhaps you should take a little bit of responsibility for her, Danny. I mean, especially after your exchange with her yesterday. You kind of left her hanging this morning, you know?”  
  
  Dan paused, alarm and confusion pulsing through his veins with each heartbeat. There was something in the way that the brown haired girl had told him he’d left Sayori hanging that sounded like it was more than just a common phrase. She spoke as if it were some sort of inside reference that she figured he understood, but only she truly got.  
  
  Without warning, his mind flashed back to his vivid nightmare. Sayori had had a rope in that dream. Maybe there was nothing truly to it, he thought as he pushed the thoughts out of his mind with a deep breath. Perhaps it was just the memories of his weird dream coloring his perception of otherwise completely innocent phrases.  
  
  “Exchange?” Dan asked, “Wait, you know about that?”  
  
  “Of course I do,” Monika giggled, seemingly unfazed by Dan’s alarm, “I’m the Club President, after all.”  
  
  Her explanation only heightened the curly-haired man’s confusion. What did her being the President of the Literature Club have anything to do with the conversation between him and Sayori? That didn’t seem like something that Sayori would have treated as Literature Club business.  
  
  And, besides, even if it was--had Sayori really told her about it that quickly? That the two did have feelings for each other, and that they could easily become a couple? He knew that he didn’t plan on bringing it up with anyone at the moment, partly out of respect for Sayori’s privacy and partly just preferring to see where things would go before making any sort of official statement on it.  
  
  “But--” Dan stammered, “Look, you don’t know the full story, yet. So---”

  Again, Monika laughed, though her voice seemed sharp and cold, as if they were daggers being pressed into Dan’s spine.  
  
  “Don’t worry,” she told him, “I probably know a lot more than you think I do.”  
  
  Dan quirked a confused eyebrow. Her green eyes were laser focused on him as she talked, sending a freezing, creeping terror up his spine. Again, her words seemed to hold a deeper meaning behind them than what was on the surface. Was it possible, he wondered, that, like Arin, Monika also possessed some sort of psychic intuition?  
  
  That was just ridiculous, he thought. First off, although he somewhat believed Arin’s claim the previous day, part of him felt like probably outright calling him ‘psychic’ had been inaccurate. After all, even Arin had said that the whole thing was a lot more complicated than that.    
  
  Perhaps, it was the same way with Monika. Or, he reasoned, perhaps she just had a very good sense of intuition that made it seem like she knew a lot more about situations that he gave her credit for.  
  
  The Club President, however, seemed unbothered by Dan’s confusion, and continued to smile calmly as she changed the subject, handing him one of the pamphlets before he could say anything else.  
  
  “Anyways,” she asked, “You want to check out the pamphlets? They came out really nice! Sayori and I spent a lot of time making them extra special.”  
  
  Sighing, Dan reluctantly agreed. There was no point in letting this get to him like this, he reasoned. It clearly had to be his own wild imagination starting to run away from him.  
  
  “Yeah,” he agreed as he took the pamphlet, “Sure.”  
  
  Admittedly, now that he was able to look at them, he could definitely see why it had taken both Sayori and Monika a good portion of the weekend to design these. Aside from the obvious fact that there were so many of them to construct, it was obvious that a lot of careful planning and detail had gone into their design to make it stand out. Part of him hoped that the students who looked at these pamphlets wouldn’t just carelessly throw them away after the performance was over.  
  
  “These are really good,” Dan said, flipping through the pages, “This should definitely help people get a little more interested in the Literature Club.”  
  
  Monika made a noise in agreement, as Dan kept flipping through the pages. Each poem, he noted was laid out professionally amongst differently themed backgrounds that invoked the mood and subject of the poem. Images relating the the mood and themes of each poem surrounded the poems, giving them extra meaning.  
  
  Even his own poem seemed almost mystical, as the words seemingly floated amongst the dark, moonlit forest backdrop, as the silhouette of a lone wolf howled at the moon.  
  
  As his hands flipped to Sayori’s poem, he felt his blood freeze within his veins. Suddenly, his hands felt heavy, the paper booklet almost slipping from his fingers. Something was seriously wrong about this---this wasn’t the poem that Sayori had practiced at all.  
  
  The page itself was blank, it’s edges appearing ripped and wrinkled, as it written on a spare piece of paper that had been crumpled and unfolded multiple times. Thick black ink smudged the pages. Unlike her other poems, this one lacked a proper title--and in fact seemed more like the repeated mantra of a madman than an actual poem.  
  
  His eyes focused on the words of the page. Again and again, his mind flashed back to the end of his nightmare. The chorus of voices, all crying “get out of my head” over and over again. Only here, the words were read in Sayori’s voice; shaking and crying as she pleaded for someone to save her.  
  
  The last sentences, more lucid in the coherence, but still terrifyingly ominous, echoed in his mind:

  
**_A poem is never finished. It just stops moving._**  
  
  He shouldn’t be here, he thought, his panic and fear filling his veins with adrenaline. Hurriedly, he dropped the poem, giving Monika an wide-eyed, alarmed look.

For a moment Monika’s smile faded, slipping into a curious glance, silently asking if he was alright. Without a word, he turned, running as his feet guided him back to Sayori’s house.  
  
“Wait!” Monika called after him, halting him in his tracks, “Where are you going?”  
  
“I--I gotta go get Sayori,” he called out after her, starting to run again.    
  
Although he didn’t look behind him to look at her, he could hear Monika’s defeated sigh as she shrugged, leaning against the doorway as she watched him disappear.  
  
  “Well,” she called after him, “Don’t take too long, okay? Don’t strain yourself.”  
  
  Once more, Dan felt the uneasy suspicion that Monika’s words meant far more than their surface meaning. But, he ignored it as he ran out of the school yard, and down the sleepy, suburban street. Several passing students eyed him curiously, unsure of what to make of the gangly, six-foot-three giraffe of a human bounding in the opposite direction as them.  
  
  He ignored them, too. His thoughts buzzing on repeat, like static white noise in his ears. Something was horribly wrong, he thought to himself. Sayori’s poem--it echoed his nightmare. Had it really been just a dream? He wondered. Or had it been a vision of something terrible that was going to happen, if it hadn’t already?  
  
  It didn’t matter, he told himself. Even if it was just a dream, Sayori was still in trouble and still needed him. Her poem alone had been enough to tell him that. He prayed that he wasn’t too late, that whatever had happened, he would be able to find her in time and that everything would be okay.  
  
  He didn’t even care if he missed the festival, as long as he made sure that Sayori was alright.  
  
     It was only when Dan found himself standing in front of Sayori’s bedroom door, did he allow himself to stop, overcome with a sudden fear, extinguishing the fire of anxiety that had guided his feet to her door. For a moment, he allowed the atmosphere around him to seep into his being, like tea leaves in water.  
  
  Like that Saturday that Sayori had revealed her depression to him, her house seemed dark and empty, as if Sayori didn’t exist, and her house had been abanoned for ages. Maybe this was one of the rare days that Sayori had managed to wake up early, and he’d simply unknowingly passed her by on his way back over there?  
  
  But, surely, he thought, Sayori’s parents should have still been there? Then again, a voice in the back of his mind whispered, it wasn’t like he’d ever seen Sayori’s parents? Or really, he thought, had he really even seen his own parents? Or anyone actually outside of the Literature Club for that matter?  
  
  What was he saying? Of course other people existed outside of the Literature Club. He vaguely remembered seeing and talking to other students, even just moments ago? And, of course, he vaguely remembered his family. He had a mom, he had a dad, and a grandmother. He had a sister, right?  
  
  Why couldn’t he remember?! Why were all his memories recalled in a hazy, distant mist and static, obscuring everything until it was nothing more than blurry shapes and distorted, vague sounds.  
   
  That’s not important right now, he thought, growling to himself as he took out his phone and called Sayori’s number. He needed to focus on Sayori, he thought. Now was not the time to be questioning small details that he was probably only overlooking due to stress and worry.  
  
  He considered texting her, but he figured that it’d be more effective to call her, in case she accidentally didn’t hear her text message notification alarm go off. Silently, Dan prayed to himself that she at least be able to hear her phone ringing.  
  
  His heart sank as he heard the muffled echo of her phone’s chirping, musical ringtone playing from the other side of the door.  
  
  “Damn it,” he muttered to himself, “She must have left her phone at home.”  
  
  Either that, he thought, or she was still there, and was either unable to hear her phone, or deliberately ignoring it. Frustrated, Dan pocketed his phone, instead deciding to knock on her door.  
  
  “Sayori!” he called, “Sayori, it’s Dan! If you’re in there, please answer! We need to talk!”  
  
  But, only terrifying silence returned his replies. Was she really here? He wondered again. Should he maybe go back to school and check to see if she might have shown up while he was gone?  
  
  No, he thought, something told him that Sayori was probably not at the school, and he needed to make sure that she wasn’t here either, before he went back and checked elsewhere.  
  
  She was a pretty heavy sleeper, he reminded himself, even on the days where it didn’t seem like her depression had been quite as severe, she’d been like that.  
  
  Holding his breath, he gripped the doorknob, his hands feeling like lead as they hesitated to turn the rounded knob. This was wrong, he thought. Barging into her room like this? Wasn’t that a breach of her privacy?

  What if she was still sleeping? He wondered. It’d be rude of him to invade her space like that to wake her up?    
  
  Besides, another part of him reasoned, wasn’t he overreacting a little? Sure, her poem was a bit upsetting--but what if she had sent that poem to Monika by mistake or earlier during the weekend, and the two had talked things through, but Sayori had simply forgotten to ask Monika to replace the poem? What if this was just Sayori experimenting with a new style? Maybe he was letting this nightmare affect him a little too much, it reasoned.  
  
  Damn it, he thought, he didn’t have time for these kinds of doubts. Not when Sayori could have been in danger. Even if the poem had been old, or Sayori had experimented with a different style, the fact that it was written was enough to worry him. Her depression had been pretty bad lately, he thought, and she was likely in a pretty volatile mental state at that moment. And, he’d promised to be there for her when she needed him.  
  
  And, this? This definitely seemed like one of those moments.  
  
  “Sayori,” he warned, “I’m coming in.”  
  
  Steeling his nerves, he twisted the handle, gently pushing the door open. The sight he was met with, made him wished that he hadn’t. All of the blood fled from his body as he stared in horror at the figure in the center of the room. His lungs struggled to catch their breath, as he felt his knees collapse underneath him, suddenly weak and unable to support him, leaving him to sink into a stunned pile on the floor.  
  
  His nightmare was real.  
  
  A rope twisted around Sayori’s neck, dangling her hollow, grey form from the ceiling like some sort of horrifying and twisted marionette puppet. The blue that once sparkled like the boundless ocean in sunlight, stared back at him with glassy grey, no longer capable of seeing the endless possibilities and beauty of the world around her. Her hairbow lay on the floor beneath her, useless and forgotten.  
  
  Dan wanted to scream, to vomit, to cry, but found himself unable to do anything but stare at the form of his former friend in disbelieving shock.  
  
  _Sayori was dead._  
  
  No, he cried to himself, this was wrong. Sayori wouldn’t just kill herself like this. Even at her worst, he reasoned, there was still some bit of her that knew that things would get better. There was always some part of her that refused to give up hope.  
  
  Through his tears, he could have sworn that he saw the room flicker, distorting and shifting like in his nightmare. Screaming, he closed his eyes, trying to push out the image of Sayori’s corpse from his mind. But, no matter what he did, the image would not go away, burned forever in his mind.  
  
  This wasn’t real. None of this was real.  
  
  This had to be another nightmare.  
  
  Maybe he hadn’t woken up from the first nightmare like he’d thought he had. Surely, any moment now, he’d wake up for real, and none of this would ever happen. But, part of him knew that this wasn’t a dream; that what his eyes had seen was really happening.  
  
_All of this was real._

  Damn it, he cursed to himself, this was his fault, wasn’t it? He’d promised he’d be there for Sayori, no matter what. Why had he not been able to see this before this happened? Why had he not gotten there sooner, or kept a better eye on her--knowing that she was in such a fragile mental state?  
  
  Had it been the way that he confessed to her? Had it been that, by putting the decision of starting a relationship as her decision put too much pressure on her? Had he accidentally broken her heart, his words being misinterpreted as a rejection?  
  
  In the back of his mind, he remembered what Arin had told him that Sunday. He told him that no matter what he said, there might have been no way not hurt her when responding to her confession.  
  
  Was that true? Was there really nothing he could have done?  
  
  His mind raced, trying to think back on their past together, desperately trying to find that one moment that might have revealed that hidden, vital clue within those memories that, had he realized it sooner, could have possibly saved her from this terrible fate.  
  
  Growling in frustration, another stream of hot, angry tears flowed freely from his cheeks. As normal, his memories felt frustratingly dreamlike and distorted. Each time, her face was blurred out, her words muffled and echoing, as if speaking through a brick wall, before forever vanishing into the aether. His memories felt unreal--as if he and Sayori had never known each other, and that their memories of each other belonged to someone else.  
  
  This wasn’t the Sayori that he knew.  
  
  The Sayori he knew would have never done this, would she?  
  
  Had he even really truly known her at all, then?  
   
  
  He remembered the other man’s whispered promise to save her. Arin had failed then, Dan thought coldly. This wasn’t like this was some sort of game where they could just start over and try again until he figured out the right words to say.  
  
  Sayori was gone. There was nothing that could change that.  
  
  _Screw the Literature Club_ , he thought, _Screw the festival! Sayori is dead! And it’s my fucking fault. I should have been here--I should have saved her! I should have been there for her, walked her to school everyday, and not let us drift away from each other like we were._  
  
  He felt as if he, too, were dying at that very moment. A chilling coldness crept through his body, numbing the nauseous ache within his soul. The buzzing static slowly faded from his mind, as comfortable silence surrounded him. Sounds, garbled and distorted among a distant wailing piano melody echoed over static, saying things that Dan couldn’t understand.  
  
His eyes no longer saw the tiny bedroom or the horrid nightmare that was Sayori’s lifeless form. Only darkness enveloped him in its welcoming embrace as he slipped deeper and deeper into the depthless void. He no longer could scream or cry, the emptiness of the void having stolen his voice, leaving him with nothing but his thoughts.  
  
  But would vanish soon, he knew.  
  
“ _Dan?!_ ” He heard Arin’s voice echo distantly from the static, his tone evident with concern.  
  
  _Arin?!_ The other man called out, though his mouth was no longer able to speak, _Arin, please help me! I don’t know what’s going on any more. Arin, please! I’m so scared! Help me…._  
  
  A reassuring warmth and pressure enveloped his body. Desperately, he clung to that warmth like a lifeline, anchoring him to his sanity, even as reality crumbled around him. Although his eyes were blind, he knew that Arin was holding him. What was Arin even doing there, he wondered, vaguely. Didn’t he know that it wasn’t safe to be here?  
  
  “ _Just hang in there, Dan_ ” the other man’s voice assured him, “ _Everything’s gonna be okay._ ”  
  
  As fast as it happened, the curly haired man felt himself being ripped from the other man’s protective embrace. He felt as if a hook, tied to a fishing line, had been driven into his skull, pulling him backwards.  
  
  Once more vague flashes of color and sound pounded against his skull in rapid succession. His memories of the past few days flashed before his eyes, playing out in reverse, as if he were watching them play out on an rewinding video. Everything he’d said and done meant nothing, as it faded from his mind as if it’d never even happened.  
  
  Uselessly, Dan tried to reach out, to latch on to even the slightest sliver of a memory, only to find it falling through his hands like sand. Even has he struggled, it felt as if the world itself had reached inside his head, rewriting his existence to better adapt it to this new reality.  
  
  Sayori? Who was Sayori? Sayori didn’t exist.  
  
  Arin, Natsuki, Yuri? Never heard of them.  
  
  Monika? He thought that the name sounded familiar. Wasn’t she in his class last year?  
  
  Slowly, unconsciousness enveloped him once more as he drifted away again. He heard a voice, once more calling out to him in a desperation plea. But, that had to have been his imagination, he thought, he didn’t seem to recognize that voice.  
  
  And yet, just before he completely succumbed to a dreamless sleep, he could hear another voice. This one cold, graceful and feminine, laughing with a tone that sounded both sugary sweet and venomously cruel all the same time.  
  
  “ _ **Ah**_ ,” She giggled, “ _ **There we go! Let’s try this again, shall we?**_ ”    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Sorry that this chapter was a lot shorter than my previous chapters. I kind of wanted to start Act 2 as its own thing, for the sake of keeping the chapters divided out fairly neatly, with each chapter covering at least one day in the club. Longer chapters are likely to happen again by the next couple of chapters. Again, I know that this fic is going to get pretty dark, but again, I sincerely intend to end this on a much happier tone by the end of the story. Anyways, thank you once more for reading and leaving feedback!)


	7. Second Verse Refrain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey everyone! Once again, I’d like to thank everyone for continuing to read and leave feedback in this story! I can’t even begin to express how much I appreciate it! Anyways, now that we’re firmly in the Psychological Horror territory, I’d just like to remind everyone that all content warnings listed in the tags apply from this point forward.

  An almost uncomfortably warm haze drifted through the quiet suburban street that Dan Avidan walked down. Only the shade of the sparse scattering of trees, and the occasional breath of autumn breeze against his face provided momentary solace from the humid warmth.   
  
  Around him, as usual, small clusters of students, most of which seemed to ignore him as he passed, prepared for their daily walk towards the school building, some of them eager to attend class and start their day, while others were less than thrilled to have been once again dragged from their rest by the burdens of obligation and responsibility.   
  
  Usually, Dan considered himself to be part of the latter category. It wasn’t that he necessarily hated school, he reasoned, but rather that the monotony of it was irritatingly tedious. He sighed to himself, as he mentally prepared himself for what he believed was a day like any other. A sardonic smile crept humorlessly on the edges of his lips as he ran through the mental checklist of his average day.  
  
  Wake up? _Check._  
  
  Walk to school alone? _Check._  
  
  Spend hours half-listening to a dull lecture over something that he felt like he’d already heard a billion times, despite it never managing to actually stick in his mind, before inevitably walking home alone, like the boring, friendless loser that everyone thought he was?    
  
  Okay, that one was a bit harsh, he admitted. But, he thought, casting a glance over at a group of students that passed by him, mostly ignoring his existence as they continued their light-hearted chatter. It wasn’t like he didn’t have friends, he thought. Didn’t he have a childhood friend that he used to walk to school with everyday when he was younger? He thought.  
  
  What was her name again?   
  
  A high pitched voice jolted him from his thoughts, as he recognized the sound of the voice. Slowly, Dan turned, half expecting to see a petite peach-haired girl running toward him, shouting his name as she waved her arms, unconcerned of who or what she accidentally knocked over in her path.   
  
  Even through the humid warmth that blanketed the air, Dan couldn’t help but feel as if he’d been dropped in the middle of the Arctic Ocean as a freezing shiver tingled through his spine.  His vision blurred into flashes of incomprehensible shapes and colors as he staggered, catching himself on the pole of a nearby crosswalk sign. Burning heat, like an uncontrolled wildfire, surged through his lithe frame, making him feel as if his muscles were being melted into a fleshy pile on the sidewalk below.    
  
  His mind felt as if was being torn apart from the inside out, as the hum of static filled his senses. It was as if the logical half of his mind and the other, more instinct based part of him had taken hold of his senses, and were arguing over what was truly there.  
  
  There was someone supposed to be there, part of him argued. There had always been someone there, walking to school with him everyday since they were children. Except that since they’d gotten into high school, he added, he’d been walking to school alone because his friend would oversleep, and he didn’t feel like risking being late for class by waiting up for her.  
  
  What was he talking about? He could almost hear the other part of him counter. He’d always walked to school alone. Although he wasn’t exactly what one would call a shut-in, it reasoned, he didn’t exactly have a lot of people that he’d considered close friends, either.   
  
  And yet there was a quiet third voice that suggested that, despite how paradoxical it might have sounded, both scenarios were simultaneously true and completely false. However, that voice was quickly drowned out by the roaring white noise of the other voices.   
  
  As his arm brushed against the metal pole, he felt something tiny and circular, like a coin, press into his left wrist, sending another jolt through his body. Like a stream of cold water through his veins, the circular object pulsed like a beacon, offering him a lifeline.   
  
  Through his gasping breaths and quickened heartbeat,  he stared down at his wrist, his brown eyes examining the object hidden just slightly under the sleeve of his blazer. A crudely made bracelet tied itself around his left wrist, its thin leather cord slightly frayed at the ends as it twisted around a small, circular coin, inscribed with what appeared to be some faded Chinese characters that Dan couldn’t read, but assumed that it read the same as the English inscription of ‘ _You Are Not Alone_ ’ that read below it.   
  
  It was almost strange, most of the time, he almost forgot about its existence, having gone so long wearing it that he was practically used to the tiny bit of extra weight on his arm. And yet, there was just something about it that almost radiated with a mystical aura, he thought, providing a small dash of comfort and reassurance, pulling him back to reality like a lifeline pulling him out of a dark sea of chaos.   
  
  He couldn’t remember where and when he’d gotten the bracelet. In the back of his mind, he vaguely knew that someone had given it him as a gift of some kind. But, only hazy flashes and vague ghost memories of feelings and sensation tingling faintly on his skin were all that he could recall.  
  
  Brown eyes, darker and richer than the earth itself, stared at him with a pleading sadness in his memory. Though, they were the eyes of a stranger, they shone with a comforting warmth of familiarity, as if these eyes and Dan’s own had met many times before, both knowing that each time they  Shaking, fearful hands ghosted over Dan’s pulse, hesitant to accidentally set the other man’s heart aflutter, but determined to bind his gift to the other man’s body.  
  
  A whisper, it’s words lost against the crackling static of his memory, echoed in his mind, speaking an unheard promise that Dan was subconsciously determined to keep, even if he couldn’t remember what the promise was.    
  
  He jumped as he felt something gently grip his shoulder, causing him to slowly turn his head toward the source of the concerned voice that called his name. His eyes widened, a startled yelp escaping his lips as he stared up at the owner of the voice.  
  
  The figure appeared to be a male, another student judging by the uniform. Just from first glance alone, Dan noticed a streak of blonde hidden amongst the long brown hair that the other student wore tied up in a ponytail. Although the two appeared to be roughly the same height, the other man’s frame was slightly more broad and thicker than Dan’s own lanky, beanpole of a body.   
  
  But, it was not the presence of the other man that startled Dan, but rather his appearance. For a brief flicker of a second, the man seemed more like a twisted, nightmarish corpse that had been re-animated than he did a living human. His eyes were hollow pools of snowy gray static, leaking forth like tears running down his far too pale cheeks. Only flashing flecks of red, green and blue, flickered within the stormy gray. More plasmatic static trickled down his face in thin streams, like blood spilling forth from a head-wound.   
  
  Horrified, but unable to will himself to look away, the curly haired man’s eyes fixated on the other man’s throat. A large, gaping slash, like a knife wound, ran across the man’s neck, stopping just inches from severing his neck in half. Like the other wounds, pulsing static spilled forth from the wound like blood from a fresh wound. He had no mouth, and yet, the other man still spoke, his voice disquieting and rasping  amongst the crackle of white noise.  
  
  
  “ _ **I SHOULDN’T BE HERE**_.” were the only words that Dan could understand among the garbled noise and sound that echoed from the other man’s form.  
  
  And then, just as suddenly as it started, it ended, leaving the curly haired man breathless and heaving as found himself staring into the concerned, brown eyes of his fellow student. It had to have been the heat playing tricks on his mind, Dan thought, shaking his head as the other man guided him back to his feet.   
  
  “Oh my god--” the other student asked, “Are you okay, Dan?”  
  
  “I-I’m fine,” Dan started, pausing briefly as he realized the other man said his name, “I think it might have just been the heat get--wait, did you just call me Dan?”  
  
  A strangled gasp escaped the other man’s lips, his cheeks blushing a deep rose as his eyes darted wildly around him, as if hoping that he’d find some sort of excuse or appropriate response somewhere in the air.   
  
  “A-ah,” The other man stammered, pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose,“N-no! Of course not! I said ‘ _Are you okay, man?_ ’”

  Dan’s brow furrowed dubiously, examining the man’s face with hawklike scrutiny and curiosity. There was something familiar about the other man’s face, he thought, as if they’d met each other before, although he couldn’t place exactly where. Perhaps, he reasoned, it was possible that they’d passed each other on the way between classes, or on the journey to and from school. It was probably nothing significant, he tried to tell himself.  
  
    And yet, something ached in the back of his mind, stirring forth the faintest of unidentifiable emotions within him, that told him that there might have been a far deeper reasoning behind it.   
  
  “Have we,” Dan asked, “met before?”  
  
  The curly haired man didn’t know what reaction he had expected from the other man, but he had not expected the one that he had received in response. It was as if the simple question itself had been akin to Dan driving a dagger straight through the other man’s heart. The other man’s face fell, his posture slumping like a deflating balloon. His eyes stared down at the concrete below them, ashamedly avoiding Dan’s perplexed gaze.  
  
  But, much like the nightmarish vision that had flickered in Dan’s vision only moments before, the man shifted again, sighing deeply as he met the curly haired man’s eyes once more. A resigned, joyless smirk twitched on the corners of his lips as he tried to put on a mask of casual nonchalance.  
  
  “No,” he chuckled, “I guess we haven’t. I mean, I transferred here from Asagao Academy a couple weeks ago, so….”  
  
  “Asagao Academy?” Dan asked, “You mean that private school across town?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin replied nodding, “Anyways, I’m Arin, by the way. Arin Hanson.”  
  
  “Dan,” Dan replied, extending his hand in greeting toward the other man, “Dan Avidan.”  
  
  Arin breathed a small sigh of relief, his smile growing brighter as he took Dan’s hand, returning the greeting with friendly but firm handshake. Despite the warmth and friendliness in Arin’s demeanor, Dan couldn’t help but catch a faint tension in the other man’s grip, his muscles tensed ever so slightly, like a tiger standing on gaurd as it hunted its prey, waiting to spring into action at the slightest provocation.  
  
  The two stood in momentary silence, both of them nervously fidgeting with the edges of their clothing, both seemingly determined to avoid eye contact with the other, as they tried to figure out what to say next.  
  
  It wasn’t like it necessarily mattered, Dan thought to himself. After all, it wasn’t like he and Arin were likely ever going to run into each other again. It might have been a small school, he reasoned, and they might have been in the same year, albeit different classes, but it was still large enough for them not to know everyone in the same year as them, much less in the school in general.  
  
  Besides, he added, Arin and him were probably in different social circles. Arin, he noted seemed like the type who actually had friends and a social life outside of school, while Dan was the polar opposite in that regard. Granted, he admitted, it wasn’t like he hadn’t ever thought about the prospect of trying to join a few extra-circular activities and possibly make a few new friends.   
  
  It wasn’t like his fellow classmates were necessarily afraid of him or disliked him, he thought. And it wasn’t like he necessarily considered himself complete introvert, either, or that he didn’t have interests. He knew that he had a deep passion for music and singing, and that whenever he graduated he wanted to go to college and eventually become a professional singer in a band.   
  
  And yet, there was a part of him that felt like he was almost compelled to be a loner, content with drifting though his mundane existence with little ambition. It was as if his soul were asleep, laying in wait for that one specific person or event to come across his path that would turn his world upside down.  
  
  Of course, he reasoned, that was completely ridiculous. There was no magical person, or strange supernatural force that was just going to happen to him and drag him into some life-changing adventure. He wasn’t the type of person who believe in fate like that. The only thing stopping him from taking the initiative and making friends, or even finding someone to fall in love with, was himself.   
  
  Mentally, he made a note to consider looking into checking out a club or two after school.  
  
  Arin opened his mouth to break the silence, but quickly found himself silenced as a shrill bell rang through the air. Around them, the few straggling students that lounged outside of the school quickened their pace in a mad dash to not be the last person to enter the classroom before the teacher began their lecture.   
  
  The other man cursed under his breath as he disappeared into the crowd, or as much as a six-foot-three giant could in a crowd of people somewhat shorter than him. Then again, Dan almost laughed as he entered the school as well,being a fairly tall guy himself, he could definitely relate to having difficulty hiding in a crowd.

* * *

  The rest of the day passed by rather uneventfully. As usual, the final bell rang, as the other students filed out of the classroom, leaving Dan staring blankly out the window, his mind occupied with thoughts about which types of clubs he should join.  
Surprisingly, trying to decide on a club to check out first turned out to be a much more difficult task than he had thought. None of the clubs that he thought have seemed to strike an interest in him.   
  
  He always supposed that he could check out the Music Club first, he reasoned. After all, he thought, aside from having some skill singing and playing bass guitar (to a much lesser extent), he had a fairly decent knowledge when it came to music in general. But then, he countered, considering that the other members in the Music Club likely had more of an interest in discussing music in more mathematical terms, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to articulate himself quite as well a discussion with them.   
  
  Still, it wasn’t like he had a whole lot of other options.  
  
  “Danny?” A feminine voice asked, jolting him from his thoughts.  
  
  Blinking, he found himself face to face with a pair of brilliant emerald eyes as a female student leaned over his desk with a curious look. Long locks of cinnamon colored haired, held together into a ponytail by a white ribbon, glistened in the golden light of the afternoon sun. A innocent, delicate smile painted her petal pink lips as she giggled, seeing that she’d gotten his attention.  
  
  Perhaps, it was that he had been too lost in his thoughts to actually hear her approach his desk, but he couldn’t help but feel as if she had almost materialized in front of him out of air.   
  
  Much like his encounter with Arin earlier, he couldn’t help but feel as if there were something familiar about this young woman, as if they’d met each other before. A small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that they had met before. Her name was Monika, the voice informed him. Although the two had rarely talked, he recalled that they had been in the same class the previous year. She seemed to be the most popular girl in class, he recalled. Smart, beautiful and athletic, it seemed that almost everyone in their class had liked her.   
  
  And, although he wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about her now, he admitted that he would have been lying if he said he hadn’t had a bit of a crush on her the previous year, despite how out of his league he thought she was.  
  
  “Monika?” he asked, “What are you doing in here?”  
  
  Again, Monika giggled, smiling sweetly as she bashfully folded her arms behind her back.  
  
  “Well,” she said, “I just came in here looking for some supplies for my club. Do you know if there’s any construction paper or markers in here?”  
  
  Although the smile that the girl flashed him was sweet as honey, Dan thought he caught a brief note of nervousness in her tone, as if she were silently asking if her actually believed the words she said. The curly haired man quirked an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest dubiously as he leaned back in his chair.  
  
  Why, he wondered, would Monika come down to this classroom to look for supplies for her club, when the club rooms were up on the third floor? Wouldn’t it have been easier to ask the Art Club if they had any supplies that she could borrow?    
  
  Perhaps it was just him accidentally being self-centered, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Monika hadn’t happened to have already seen him in the classroom, and had possibly decided to make up an excuse to talk to him. Of course, he chuckled to himself, that didn’t make any sense, either. Monika was far to beautiful and popular to be wasting her time talking to dorky loser like him.   
  
  Still, he thought, she had just mentioned clubs, and by some amazing stroke of cosmic coincidence, he just happened to be thinking about looking into clubs. Sure, he wasn’t sure that he was necessarily the type of person who believed in fate, but he couldn’t help but feel a small itch in the back of his subconscious telling him that maybe it was fate that Monika had walked into this room at that exact moment, talking about things that were on his mind.     
  
  “Um,” he replied, thinking for a moment, “There might be some in that closet over there.”  
  
  Monika nodded in agreement, starting to walk toward the closet, before Dan continued. He figured that while she was here, he might try to ask her about the Debate Club. After all, he reasoned, he did seem to remember her being in the Debate Club last year, if not being the President of it. Not that he had much interest in debating with other people, but it did seem like kind of a start to give him more options to look at besides the Music Club.  
  
  “Wait,” he continued, stopping her, “You’re in the Debate Club, right?”  
  
  Monika’s eyebrow furrowed as a flicker of a frown painted her delicate face. However, it was too quick for Dan to notice before another sweet, twittering giggle escaped her lips, the placid smile quickly returning to her lips.  
  
  “Oh, I actually quit the Debate Club!” she replied, “To be honest, I can’t stand a lot of the politics surrounding the major clubs. It just feels like nothing but arguing about budget and how to handle publicity for events.”  
  
  Dan nodded in agreement as he listened to her talk. He could definitely see where it would be frustrating to deal with the in-fighting that surrounded larger clubs. After all, with more people in the club, it was likely that there were going to be several different ideas and viewpoints about how to achieve their goals, that clashes and disagreements were more than likely to happen.   
  
  Then again, he thought to himself, considering that it was the Debate Club that they were talking about, that kind of debate and discourse didn’t seem too out of the ordinary. That said, he smirked, he couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to be caught in a discussion about budget with a group of people who were not only skilled at argument, but also deeply passionate about it as well.    
  
  
  “Besides,” Monika continued, “I’d much rather take something that I personally enjoy and make something special of it.”  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, “What club did you join, then?”  
  
  Again, Monika giggled, as a mischievous glint of emerald sparked in her eyes like green electricity, sending a shiver coursing up the tall man’s spine.   
  
  “Well,” she replied, “Actually, I decided to start a new one: A Literature Club!”  
  
  Dan felt himself grow cold, as Monika’s words echoed deep in his mind. An uncomfortable feeling crept through every cell in his body, pooling into a knot in the pit of his stomach. For the briefest of moments, he couldn’t help but think of those few brief moments right before he went to sleep, where his tired muscles would spasm, briefly tricking his dozing mind into believing he was falling, when he was actually laying perfectly still.   
  
  Brief flashes of color and sound shot through his memory like a speeding train, far too fast for him to comprehend anything other than brief blurs. Only faint emotions, lacking context and memory for him to make sense of, but still resonating within him. Maybe he was just tired, or maybe again it was just the heat and humidity in the air outside, but he couldn’t help but feel like there was something about the way that Monika spoke of the Literature Club that was more important to him than he realized.   
  
  “A Literature Club?” he wondered, clearing his throat as he tried to resume a mask of calm indifference, lest he embarrass himself in front of the most popular girl in the class, “That’s sounds kind of interesting. How many members you have so far?”  
  
  Monika blushed, giggling again as she covered her mouth with one of her elegant, graceful hands.  
  
  “Well,” she replied, “it’s kind of embarrassing. But, there’s only about three or four of us, so far. It’s kind of difficult for us to find members for something that a lot of people find kind of boring.But, it’s not really that boring. I mean, literature can be anything right? Reading, writing, poetry---heck, one of my club members even keeps her manga in the clubroom.”  
  
  Dan paused, now listening to her with curious interest. It wasn’t necessarily that he was that much of a manga fan---he’d been known to read a few mangas and some other graphic novels from time to time---but there was something about what she said that struck a strange cord with him.  
  
  He could have sworn that he’d known a girl who used to hide out in one of the clubroom closets and read manga all the time. Of course, he reasoned, considering that this was high school, it was likely just some rumor that one of the more popular, but vindictive, students tried to spread in some weak attempt to start gossip about a less popular student.   
  
  “She insists that manga is literature,” Monika continued, “I mean, she’s not wrong, I guess.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “I mean, it’s sort of a combination of art and storytelling, so I can see where it counts. Hell, there’s a lot of things that people wouldn’t necessarily consider legit literature that totally count, like plays or fanfiction and whatever.”  
  
  “Yeah,” she replied brightly, “And anyways, a member’s a member, right? Which reminds me; by any chance are you still looking for a club to join.”  
  
  Dan’s brow furrowed as he rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling just as embarrassed and ashamed as Monika had when mentioning her club’s currently lack of members. How had she known that he was looking for a club to join? He wondered. Was it really that obvious to everyone that he was that much of an introverted loner who needed friends?  
  
  “Uh…” he stammered, “Well---not really. I mean I was thinking about maybe the Music Club, but I dunno….”  
  
  Again, Monika giggled, amused by Dan’s apparent embarrassment as he tried to stutter out a few more half-formed excuses. The light of the afternoon sun in the windows caught her emerald eyes, making them appear almost as if they were glowing with a mischievous glimmer. He could almost see the gears turning in her head as she swiftly formulated a plan as she looked at him like a hungry shark circling around an injured seal.  
  
  Sighing, he prepared himself for the inevitable sales pitch that he was certain that she was about to give him. Part of him wished that he hadn’t said anything. After all, Monika had just said that they were short on members, and seeing as he was currently not already a member of a club, it made sense that she’d take this opportunity to sway him into joining her club.  
  
  To be perfectly honest, he admitted, he wasn’t really sure how much of an interest he had in literature. Sure, he did enjoy reading sci-fi and fantasy stories on occasion, and songwriting was sort of considered akin to writing poetry, in a sense. But, he wasn’t sure that he’d be able to match the passion and dedication to literature that he was positive that the other members probably had.   
  
  “Well,” Monika asked, clapping her hands together in a way that suggested that she had everything figured out, “In that case, can I ask you a favor? Would you consider stopping by and visiting the Literature Club today?”  
  
  Dan started to open his mouth to protest, but quickly found himself cut off as Monika gave him a pleading pout before continuing.

  
  “Now,” she continued, “I’m not asking you to join. I’m just asking that you stop by for maybe one meeting, just to see what it’s like? It’d make me really happy if you did.”  
  
  Monika looked almost like a sad puppy that was silently begging their owner to pay attention to them, as her pout grew and she folded her arms behind her back. A sharp pang of guilt stabbed through the curly haired man’s heart like a needle, as she waited expectantly for his answer.  
  
  Damn it, he thought to himself, if there was one thing that he was absolutely weak to, it had to be a cute girl like Monika giving him puppy-dog eyes. It was probably a good thing that he wasn’t in the Debate Club then, he laughed, especially while Monika had still been a part of it. He was sure that he wouldn’t have been able to even finish his original argument before conceding his point in the face of her angelic smile.  
  
  Perhaps, it was just his own imagination that caused him to over exaggerate things, or his own reluctance to disappoint a cute woman, but he couldn’t help but feel as if he were unable to say no. He felt as if an invisible hand had wrapped around his throat, strangling out any sounds of protest or doubt before they could leave his lips.  
  
  He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the back of his mind warning him that disappointing Monika was a mistake that could easily have dire consequences on his life as he knew it. Of course, he reasoned, that was an exaggeration. The least she could probably do was probably mess with his social standing among the other students in the school. But then, it wasn’t like he had that many friends that it would have mattered.  
  
  Besides, Monika was too nice of a person to do something as cruel and vindictive as that.  
  
  “Sure,” Dan shrugged, “I don’t see the harm in it.”  
  
  “Ah!” Monika replied, practically beaming, “Wonderful! Thank you! You’re really sweet, you know that, Danny?”  
  
  Again, Dan felt his face burn as a rose-colored blush painted his cheeks. Bashfully, he fidgeted with a loose thread on the sleeve of his jacket as he tried to avoid looking directly Monika’s radiant, sun-like smile.   
  
  “Eh,” he mumbled, “It’s nothing, I guess.”  
  
  “Well then,” Monika continued, as she started to leave the classroom, “Shall we go?”  
  
  Dan nodded, following her out of the classroom. With each step he took toward the third floor and the Literature Club Room, he couldn’t help but feel a nervous knot of anxiety and doubt tie itself tighter around his gut, making him wonder if he knew exactly what he’d gotten himself into.   
  
  He felt as if he’d sold his soul to Monika and her angelic, irresistible smile. His fate, he thought to himself, no longer in his own hands, having been placed at the mercy of the Literature Club and it’s cunning and brilliant President.   
  
  On a whim, she could make his life a heaven, more blissful and sweeter than his sweetest dreams, or a hell more twisted and terrible than his darkest nightmare.

  
  _You really gotta stop over-romanticizing things_ , he thought to himself as a small smile crossed his lips, _It’s just a club! There’s no need to take things so seriously like that. What’s the worst that could happen?_

* * *

  A few short moments later brought Dan and Monika to a door at the end of the third floor. The floor itself was almost eerily quite, Dan noted, instinctively stepping closer behind the Literature Club President. But then again, he reminded himself, it wasn’t really that unusual for the third floor. After all, this floor was mostly comprised of clubrooms and extra classrooms.  
  
  Energetically, Monika pushed open the door, leading her guest into Literature Club room. At first, Dan almost wasn’t entirely sure that Monika hadn’t just lead him into an empty room. Only rows and rows of empty desks stretched across the small wooden floor, drawing his eye toward the scattering of posters and notes pinned to the wall.  
  
  For a brief moment, Dan felt a cold shiver creeping down his spine as his eyes focused on one particular picture that seemed out of place among the others on the board. It was a large, black and white photograph of what appeared to be a suicide. Though the image itself was faded and washed out, something about the image struck a horrifying chord in the back of his mind.   
  
  He could have sworn that he’d seen this image before. No, he thought, it was more like he’d been there before, somewhere in his deepest, darkest nightmares. He had opened that door, he had been the one to find that girl’s body like that.   
  
  But, he thought, closing his eyes as he tried to block it from his memory, why was he seeing that here? Why would the Literature Club room have such a disturbing image posted to their wall?   
  
  With a shuddering breath, he opened his eyes again. Almost immediately, he did a double-take. He had to have been imagining things, he thought. The gruesome image was no longer there, replaced with a large calendar that was marked with a few dates for random events that didn’t really interest or concern him.   
  
  Curiously, he cast a glance at Monika, as if he hoped that she could confirm if what he’d saw was a hallucination, or if it what it meant if it wasn’t. However, the Club President seemed oblivious to him as she cheerfully called out to the other club members.  
  
  “I’m back!” she replied in a song-like voice, “And I brought a guest with me!”  
  
  From the corner of the room, a purple haired girl looked up from her book, eyeing the new guest in the club with violet eyes that glimmered with a curious expression. How Dan had somehow overlooked her, he was not sure. Perhaps it was the way that she had huddled herself up in the corner of the room, trying to make herself appear as small and inconspicuous as possible.  
  
  As her purple eyes stared through him, examining him with the uncertain fascination of a biologist discovering a new species of potentially poisonous frog, Dan felt something flash through his mind like a sudden migrane. But, no sooner had he winced to react, the feeling passed.   
  
  “A-a guest?” The girl asked curiously, her voice soft and mumbling.  
  
  Suddenly, a second girl, this one glaring at him with rose colored eyes that matched her pigtailed hair, appeared. Unlike her taller, more demure looking friend, the second girl seemed much shorter and outgoing as she practically leapt in behind the taller girl, her displeasure toward their new guest. If it weren’t for the fact that he was almost certain he’d seen her in the hallways between classes the previous year, he would have almost mistaken her for a first year student.   
  
  “Seriously?” the pink haired girl whined as she rested her hands on her hips, “You brought another boy? Ugh, way to kill the atmosphere, Monika. I thought that we agreed that the next new member we got was gonna be a girl.”  
  
  “Don’t be mean, Natsuki,” Monika replied, though the calm smile on her face suggested that she didn’t take the other girl’s complaints all that seriously, “Anyways, everyone, this is Danny! He’s our newest club member.”  
  
  The curly haired man felt his face grow warm as he sheepishly attempted to rake his hand through the tied back mess of curls atop his head. Monika had said that the club didn’t have many members, he noted, but he certainly hadn’t thought that the two members that she had managed to find would be as incredibly cute as they happened to be.   
  
  “So,” Natsuki sneered, quirking her eyebrow in an unimpressed look as she folded her arms across her chest, “Let me guess---you’re Monika’s boyfriend, right?”  
  
  Both Monika and Dan exchanged quizzical, alarmed looks with one another, wondering how the pink haired girl had reached such an unusual conclusion. It wasn’t like either of them had been in the same room outside of class, much less even talked to one another. Had Monika perhaps said something that Natsuki had misinterpreted to imply that she and Dan were in a relationship.  
  
  A nervous blush painted Monika’s cheeks as she giggled again, as she quickly changed the subject before he could ask her any further questions about the subject.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” she continued, waving toward the pink haired girl “Anyways, this is Natsuki--full of energy as usual.”  
  
  The short girl glared at him sourly, as if the other man’s presence was akin to the stench of a rotting corpse left out in the hot summer sun. Again, Monika ignored her as she waved toward the purple haired girl.  
  
  “And this,” Monika added, “Is our Vice President, Yuri.”  
  
 The violet haired girl blushed, shyly curling in on herself and tugging on the sleeve of her uniform, as if she were afraid Dan’s gaze would turn her to stone if she stared directly at him for too long.   
  
  “I-it’s nice to meet you,” Yuri mumbled, staring fixedly at a spot on the floor beside her.  
  
  It was interesting, Dan thought, that Monika would happen to find two people who appeared to be polar opposites of one another in both personality and appearance, that coincidentally both had an interest in literature. Monika must have been a little better at finding members than she gave herself credit for.  
  
  But, he thought to himself, his eyes looking around the room. Hadn’t Monika said that the club had four members? And hadn’t Natsuki said that there was another guy there? Part of him wondered where the missing club member was, but another part of him reasoned that it wasn’t really that big of a concern. He’d probably been running late, or had stepped out to the bathroom while Monika was gone or something.   
  
  As if on cue, a loud slamming of a door opening echoed through the classroom, interrupting as she started to speak. The four turned toward the door as another figure rushed in the room, stumbling as he nearly tripped over his own hastened feet.   
  
  The other figure panted, catching his breath as he drew himself to his full height, easily towering over his three female club members. His face paled as his brown eyes fell on Dan, observing the other man as if he’d just seen a ghost. Although his expression remained hidden behind a mask of calm, unreadable neutrality, the other man couldn’t help but catch the faintest twitch of annoyance and anger within the corners of his face.   
  
  This man, Dan recognized, was the same student that he had met on the way to school earlier that morning.   
  
  Arin must have been the other guy in the Literature Club that Natsuki had mentioned a few minutes ago. It was almost amusing, Dan chuckled to himself, how outstanding the odds that in a school as large as this, that the one guy he happened to meet on the way to school would also happen to not only know, but be in the same club that Monika had convinced him to visit.  
  
  A faint flicker of frown passed across Monika’s face, her green eyes narrowing in mild disdain as she looked at the final, no longer missing club member. However, her placid smile returned, as she giggled sweetly once more.  
  
  “Ah,” she continued, “And this is the last member of our club, Arin, running late as usual.”  
  
  The taller man rolled his eyes, scowling as he grumbled something under his breath before turning his attention toward the curly haired man. Once more, Arin’s deep brown eyes glared at him as he took his place beside the other two club members. An icy glare glinted behind those eyes, as if warning Dan to be on his guard; that this club was not some frivolous curiosity to be treated lightly.

  
 “Yeah,” Dan laughed, shrugging off the uneasy feeling that itched in the back of his mind, “Funny enough, I ran into Arin on the way to school today.”  
  
  Monika’s brow furrowed as she stroked her chin, he gaze lowering as it shifted between the two men. She hummed to herself as her mouth twisted into troubled frown, as if she were trying to solve a complicated math problem in her head.  
  
  “Hmmm,” she said, mostly to herself, “Interesting….”  
  
  Why was that ‘interesting;? Dan wondered to himself. Sure, it seemed pretty amusing that the two would happen to run into each other twice in the same day, but the way Monika spoke, didn’t sound like she suspected that there was far more to their meeting than just a mere coincidence.   
  
  “Well,” Monika continued, smiling once more as if nothing had bothered her, “Anyways, I ran into Danny in the classroom, and he decided to check out the club! Isn’t that great?”  
  
  Now, it was Arin’s turn to furrow his brow, folding his arms across his chest as he stared pensively down at his chest. Much like Monika’s troubled frown, the frown that darkened the other man’s expression silently suggested his doubt that her meeting with Dan had entirely been a coincidence, either.   
  
  “Well,” Dan said, quickly changing the subject to break the tension, “In any case, it’s nice to meet everyone.”  
  
  The others nodded, silently returning Dan’s greeting. Natsuki, however, scowled, resting her hands on her hips as she seemed to ignore him, instead turning her attention toward the Club President.   
  
  “Monika,” the pink haired girl whined, stamping her foot slightly “Didn’t I tell you to let me know when you brought someone new into the club?! I was gonna, well---y’know…..”  
  
  Monika laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck as a flustered blush painted Natsuki’s cheeks, forcing her words to trail off, unfinished.   
  
  “I’m sorry,” Monika apologized, “I didn’t forget. It was just that this was sort of a spur of the moment thing. I promise that I’ll try to give you a little advanced warning next time.”  
  
  Although the short girl’s arms were still planted firmly on her hips, her expression softened as a smile crossed her lips, reluctantly accepting her friend and fellow club member’s apology.   
  
  “Well,” Natsuki grumbled, “Whatever. Next time you better bring another girl, too.”  
  
  At this, the rest of the club chuckled, the tension in the air shattering like fragile glass, allowing a sense of comfort and levity to permeate through the air like a much needed cool breeze in a stuffy room.   
  
  “Well,” Yuri replied, “In any case, I should at least make some tea, shouldn’t I?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Monika replied, nodding enthusiastically, “That would be great!”  
  
  In a flurry of movement, Natsuki, Monika and Arin had managed to arrange a few of the desks into a makeshift table. Meanwhile, Yuri had withdrawn a small, metal tea kettle from the closet, and had stepped out of the club room for a moment to fill the kettle up with water.   
  
  How had Yuri managed to sneak an entire tea set into the school, especially the heater necessary to boil the tea. After all, the principal and the teachers barely even allowed students to bring cellphones to school, except for emergencies. So, how she’d managed to bring in something that had the potential to burn down the entire school was beyond him.   
  
  “Danny,” Monika called, motioning for him to sit in the space between her and Arin, “Please take a seat!”  
  
  Nervously, Dan sat down between the two, squirming slightly as he felt the two seem to shift just slightly closer on either side of him, as if threatening to press themselves into his sides, crushing him between their two bodies. He could almost feel the fire and heat radiating from the two club members eyes as they shared a brief glare at one another behind his back, before resuming a friendly politeness.

  “Now,” Monika said, “I know that you didn’t plan on coming, but we’ll still try to make you feel as comfortable as possible. After all, it’s my duty as President of the Literature Club to make sure this club is fun and exciting for everyone, and that its members feel at home here.”  
  
  Beside him, Arin snorted, stifling a chuckle, before speaking.  
  
  “Well,” he said, “Dan’s not a member yet. But, either way, it’s not really just the club president’s job to make everyone feel welcome. I mean, like, that’s sort of all of the members jobs, right? I mean, it’s kind of difficult to find more members if we end up scaring off everyone and giving them the wrong impression about the club.”  
  
 “Indeed,” Monika nodded in agreement.  
  
  “Honestly,” Dan added, “I’m kind of surprised that you guys don’t have more members. I mean, you all seem pretty nice. And Monika--- I remember you being pretty well liked in our class last year. I’m amazed that more people haven’t joined yet. It must be hard to start a new club.”  
  
  Again, Monika giggled, flipping her long, cinnamon-colored hair gracefully, accidentally brushing Dan’s face with a few stray locks. Her expression softened, seeming to star off into the distance, as if the words that she was going to speak were written on the far wall in invisible ink that only she could see.  
  
  “Well,” she replied, “honestly, it kind of is? I mean, it’s really difficult to convince people to join something that they might not be particularly interested in. Not a lot of people are willing to put in the effort on something if they don’t already care deeply about it.”  
  
  Monika exchanged a knowing glance with Arin over Dan’s shoulder before continuing.   
  
  “You have to try really hard to convince people that a club is both fun and worthwhile,” she continued, “But it makes school events, like the festival, that much more important. I’m confident that we can really grow this club into something special before we graduate. Right, Natsuki?”  
  
  Natsuki shrugged indifferently as she leaned back in her chair, as if she were unsure as to whether her vision of the Literature Club matched everyone else’s. Admittedly, Dan could sympathize with her reluctance, to a degree. She probably enjoyed the tight-knight intimacy of a smaller club, he guessed. As much as Natsuki probably wanted to see the club grow as well, she probably also didn’t want to risk losing the camaraderie and friendship that a smaller club brought.  
  
  “Well,” she replied, “I guess.”  
  
  It was interesting, Dan thought as he silently listened to the three present club members engage in conversation. Such interesting and wonderful people with diverse personalities all with the same goal; Monika must have gotten lucky and managed to strike gold when finding these three.   
  
  Then again, he reasoned, perhaps Natsuki, Yuri and Arin had been like him. Perhaps they had felt as if they were magically drawn to this club by some sort of invisible force; be it Monika’s shining personality or something more mystical and supernatural. Had they too felt that this club was part of some secret destiny they weren’t fully aware of, and that joining would bring them one step closer to understanding themselves?   
  
  Or was he once again letting his overactive imagination run wild inside his mind?  
  
  His thoughts were interrupted as Yuri returned to the table, her arms balancing elegant silver tray, laden with several delicate-looking porcelian teacups, a steaming kettle of liquid and various other tea-supplies. The precariously perched tea set rattled slightly as she tried to balance in her shaky hands, threatening to spill the tea into a puddle of broken glass and scalding liquid at the floor.   
  
  Quickly, Dan stood up, helping her steady the tea-set as he took the cups, setting them down in front of everyone. The purple haired girl blushed, a small, startled yelp escaping her lips as she busied herself with the filling the tea cups.   
  
  “So,” Dan asked, “How did you manage to bring a whole tea set here?”

  
  Again Yuri’s blush deepened, her face almost turning a shade of red that matched the ribbon tie on her uniform, as she fervently tried to avoid eye contact with him.  
  
  “A-ah,” she mumbled, “I asked the teachers and the principal for permission to bring it in here for the club. They told me that as long as it doesn’t leave the club room, then it’s alright for us to keep it in here. After all, doesn’t a cup of hot tea help you enjoy a good book?”  
  
  Now it was Dan’s turn to feel his face grow warm in embarrassment. To be honest, he never really thought that much about it. It wasn’t that he necessarily didn’t enjoy reading, or didn’t enjoy tea. In fact, he could argue that quite the opposite was true on both accounts. It was just that he’d never really thought too deeply on whether reading while drinking tea enhanced his experience.   
  
  Monika grinned as she rested her hand on Dan’s shoulder, snapping him out of his daze.  
  
  “Don’t let yourself get intimidated,” she said lightly, “Yuri’s just trying to impress you.”  
  
  A startled gasp escaped the purple haired girl’s lips as she clutched her chest as if she were trying to shield herself from the other club member’s prying eyes and Monika’s well meaning assumptions. Her eyes narrowed as she looked away, insulted that her fellow club member would even suggest that she was simply trying to intimidate Dan.   
  
  “Th-that’s not true!” She squeaked, her words trailing off as she idly twisted a lock of her long hair in her hands, “I-I meant that, you know---”  
  
  “It’s okay,” Dan smiled warmly, “I knew what you meant, and I believe you. It just that I never really thought about it, y’know? I mean, I do like tea, and I do like reading, though.”  
  
  Yuri heaved a sigh of relief, allowing her stiff posture to loosen as she sat down next to Natsuki. A small, inward smile crept over her face as she clasped the teacup in her hand.  
  
  Following suite, Dan also picked up his own tea-cup, closing his eyes as he allowed the warm, flowery scent of the tea to fill his nostrils, chasing away whatever stray nervousness and background uneasiness he felt, like the wind blowing sand off of a desert dune.  
  
  “So,” Yuri continued, the timidness fading from her voice as she spoke, “What kind of stories do you like to read, Danny?”  
  
  “Well,” Dan began, “I really like fantasy stories, like stuff about dragons and unicorns and magic in faraway lands, y’know? But, sometimes I like reading some manga or a graphic novel if it interests me, too.”  
  
  Natuski, who had remained silent as she sipped her tea, perked up at the word ‘manga’, sitting up as she listens in on the conversation with interest. She looked as if she wanted to say something, Dan noted, but had decided that it was probably better to keep quiet for the moment.   
  
  Beside her, Yuri’s expression softened, lowering her head pensively as she stared at the teacup in her hand. Once more, a shy smile painted her delicate lips as a pink blush painted her pale cheeks.  
  
  “What about you?” Dan ventured to ask, unsure of how Yuri would respond, “What kind of things do you like reading?”  
  
  “Well,” the purple haired girl replied, thinking a moment, “I guess you could say that I sort of enjoy the same types of stories.I really enjoy novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship it takes to create a world so vastly different from our own is amazing to me. And telling a story in such a foreign world is so fascinating to me.”  
  
  Yuri traced a slender finger along the rim of her teacup as she continued to talk. It was  almost like watching someone become poessessed by another person, Dan thought. The timid uncertainty that made the tall girl seem almost mouse-like had melted away, replaced with the sharp eloquent, well-spoken demeanor that seemed almost paradoxically alien and befitting of a person such as her.   
  
  “But you know,” She continued, her violet eyes glimmering, “Stories with a deep psychological element fascinate me, as well. Isn’t it amazing how a writer can deliberately take advantage of the reader’s imagination and use it against them, to throw them for a loop? Anyways, I’ve been reading a lot of horror lately.”  
  
  He wasn’t sure why, but he couldn’t help but feel as if Yuri’s description of the genre struck a chord somewhere in the depth of his soul far deeper than he realized was capable of existing. Shaking his head, he tried to push the creeping sense of terror out of his mind before it could fill his mind with dark, existential thoughts and questions.  
  
  “Yeah,” he replied, “I’ve read a couple horror novels before….”  
  
  Mentally, he wished that he could have slapped himself. Way to make himself seem like a complete idiot, he thought. Although he could relate to what she was saying on a minimal level, trying to find the right words to express that sentiment without sounding like an awkward loser tripping over his own words, made him feel that Yuri would have had an easier time communicating with a brick wall.  
  
  Thankfully, Monika seemed to step in with a sweet, pleaseant laugh before Yuri could react to his stumbling awkwardness.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” she giggled, “I’d expect that from you, Yuri! It suits your personality quite well,”  
  
  “Is that so?” the purple haired girl quirked an eybrow toward the Club President.

  
  “Eh,” Arin added before Monika could respond, “I wouldn’t necessarily say that, personally. I mean, yeah, you reading horror novels does sort of suit part of your personality. But, that said, people have a lot of different facets to their personalities. Like, how Natsuki tries to act tough, but is actually very sweet and cute---”  
  
  “---or how you look like you should be this tough jock,” Natsuki interjected, though her annoyance at being called ‘cute’ evident in her voice, “But you’re like super into pink and girly anime stuff, too.”  
  
  Arin laughed, bashfully playing with a loose lock of hair before continuing.  
  
  “True,” he said, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s hard to judge a book by it’s cover, so to speak? Like, the cover can look like an innocent romance novel, but could end up being a dark suspense thriller or something, y’know?”  
  
  “Indeed,” Monika agreed, nodding, “You have a point. I guess that not everyone is always as they would appear to be.”  
  
  Once more, Monika and Arin seemed to both be staring through the curly haired man between them, their eyes meeting somewhere in the core of his very existence as they shared another look of silent understanding with one another. And yet, there was something unmistakably dangerous in the intensity of their expressions, that Dan couldn’t place, but felt uneasy with all the same.  
  
  Why did it feel like the two of them knew something more than the rest of them? He wondered.  
  
  “Anyways,” Yuri continued, “If a story transports me to another world, or makes me think as I try to theorize about the story and wonder what will happen next, I find it difficult to put down. But, what about you, Arin? Are you into horror as well?”  
  
  A dark, yet sorrowful expression clouded the other man’s face as his hands gripped tighter around the empty teacup, his shoulders slumped as his thoughts seemed to drift away from the present, if only for a moment.   
  
  “I guess I used to be,” he replied, “But I’m not so sure anymore. Lately, it kind of feels like I’ve kind of fell into sci-fi and stuff like that.”  
  
  “Ah,” Yuri smiled, setting her cup down and clasping her hands together, “That’s fascinating! You know, there’s a lot of crossover between ideas and themes that appear in science fiction, fantasy and horror. Each are heavily involved in engaging with the readers imaginations and crafting complex worlds that are often full of suspense and mystery. So, it’d be natural for there to be some overlap between the genres.”  
  
  “Ugh!” Natsuki shivered, “I hate horror! It’s just so----”  
  
  The pink haired girl’s eyes darted over in Dan’s direction for a moment, as she left her words to hang in the air. She seemed like she wanted  to say that she wasn’t as into the horror genre as her other two clubmates, but seemed as if she were afraid that Dan and the others would think she was weird of childish for not liking it.  
  
  “Hey,” Dan replied, “It’s cool. I mean, horror’s not really a genre that everyone’s into. I mean, I like some part of horror--especially if it sort of builds up to a bittersweet ending. But, the suspense and shit in the build up is kind of difficult to handle, y’know?”  
  
  Natsuki nodded, though the sour frown never left her face. However, what sourness that had fallen upon the room was quickly broken as Monika laughed warmly a fox-like grin.  
  
  “That’s right,” Monika said, “You usually like writing about cute things, don’t you, Natsuki?”  
  
  The smaller girl gasped, glaring at Monika with a sharp look that could have cut glass like a knife through hot butter, had she been given the chance to properly weaponize it.  
  
  “W-what gave you that idea?!?” she asked defensively, quickly stammering over her words, much to the Club President’s amusement, “I-I never said---”  
  
  “You left a poem in the club room the other day,” Monika continued as she withdrew a folded piece of notebook paper, “It looked like you were working on somehting called---”  
  
  “Don’t say it out loud!” the other girl cried, leaping out of her chair to grab the paper out of Monika’s hand, “Geez, Monika! Snooping around and reading people’s stuff like that without permission?! That’s so rude!”  
  
  Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but laugh at the petite girl’s anger and embarrassment. There was just something kind of endearing about how flustered she got about something as innocent as writing a poem. Beside him, he heard Arin chuckle as well, altering him that he was not the only one that found this scene to be amusing and endearing.   
  
  And yet, the sharp, threatening glare that Natsuki gave the two men as Monika handed her back the paper warned him that laughing too long would probably end up with the two of them receiving a swift kick to the gut and a couple broken limbs, at best.  
  
  “So Natsuki,” Dan asked, hoping to change the subject to lighter topics, “You write you’re own poems?”  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki blushed, rubbing her arm bashfully, “Sometimes. I mean, they’re not that good.”  
  
  “Are you kidding?” Arin said, “Natsuki and Yuri are like two of the best writers in the school! I’d give anything to be able to write half as good as they do.”  
  
  “Whatever,” Natsuki rolled her eyes, “Why do you care, anyways?”  
  
  “Oh, no reason,” Dan replied, “It’s just that I’m kind of impressed is all. I’m kind of a poetry writer myself, actually. Well, as much as one can count ‘songwriting’ as poetry, I guess. What do you usually write about?”  
  
  The pink haired girl grimaced, nervously fidgeting with the cuff of her grey blazer as she sullenly looked down at the ground beside her. A rose-colored blush, almost the same shade as her hair and eyes painted her cheeks.  
  
  “I-it’s stupid,” she grumbled, “Y-you wouldn’t like them, anyways.”  
  
  “Ah, c’mon,” he replied, “You don’t know that, yet! You should share them, sometimes. But like, whenever you feel more confident about it, y’know? I mean, I don’t want to force you into doing something when you’re not that confident about your writing yet.”  
  
  “I understand how Natsuki feels,” Yuri added, her soft voice gently interrupting the conversation, “Writing is a lot like baring your soul to complete strangers. Exposing your vulnerabilities and being honest with one’s self takes a high level of confidence. Sharing that with others you aren’t quite familiar with takes an even higher level of confidence that isn’t easy to achieve.”  
  
  Once more, Dan nodded, feeling some sort of unspoken truth behind Yuri’s words. As much as he wished that he could read everyone’s poems, and perhaps get acquainted with them on a much more personal level, he knew that it wasn’t fair to put them in such an awkward position just for his sake. He was sure if the situation were reversed, he wouldn’t have liked for someone to pry into his deepest, darkest secrets.   
  
  “Do you have writing experience, Yuri?” Monika asked, once more pulling Dan from his introspective daze and back into the club room with the others, “Maybe you could share your writing as well, and help Natsuki become a little more comfortable sharing hers?”  
  
  The purple haired girl said nothing, absently playing with her hair as she shyly curled in on herself. He guessed that, despite their differences in personality, both Natsuki and Yuri were in the same boat when it came to their confidence in their own writings.  
  
  A brief, heavy silence fell over the room as the group tried to figure out where to take the halted conversation next. Suddenly, Monika’s eyes lit up, glimmering like emeralds in the afternoon sun as an idea came across her mind. Snapping her fingers, she stood up, looking over the other club members excitedly. The others looked quizzically at her, wondering what idea she had already concocted in her mind.  
  
  “I’ve got an idea,” she said proudly, clapping her hands together, “Let’s all go home and write poems of our own! Then, when we meet tomorrow, we can all share them together! That way, if were all being put on the spot, then nobody’ll feel singled out.”  
  
  Natsuki and Yuri seemed hesitant, neither one of them managing to form more than a few uncertain sounds of protest as they fidgeted nervously in their chairs. Across from them, Arin remained motionless, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest, his expression blank as if part of him was used to this sort of hesitancy from the other two club members, and knew that their reluctance would be short lived. Monika frowned, sighing to herself as she brushed a lock of hair away from her face.  
  
  “Well,” she sighed, “I thought it was a good idea, at least.”  
  
  Strangely, it was Yuri to break the silence first.  
  
  “You’re right, Monika,” she said, “I believe it’s a good idea. I believe that we need to find activities for this club to do together. After all, I did decide to accept the position of Vice-President. I need to do my best to nurture the club and its members. Besides, now that we have a new member, it seems like a good step for us to take. Do you agree as well, Danny?”  
  
  Wait a minute, Dan thought as four pairs of eyes fell on him, expectantly. Why was everyone acting like he’d already joined the club? Sure, he’d had a pretty good time talking to everyone and getting to know them, but that didn’t mean that he had actually decided to join the club.   
  
  “Wait a second,” Dan said, shaking his head, “I never promised that I’d join! I mean--I still have a few other clubs to look at and….”  
  
  It was no use trying to make excuses, he thought, his stomach sinking as he watched the four club members sink dejectedly, staring at him with sad, disappointed eyes.   
  
  For every excuse he could think of, those four pairs of sad, dejected eyes had already thought up of at least seven counter arguments to invalidate his already weak excuses. How could he be so cruel as to disappoint people as interesting and beautiful as them?  
  
  “B-but,” Monika started to protest.  
  
  “I-I’m sorry,” Yuri mumbled, “I thought…..”  
  
  Natsuki said nothing as she crossed her arms tightly around her chest, glaring viciously at him through her pink eyes.  
  
  Although traces of sorrow lined Arin’s face, Dan couldn’t help but notice a faint light of anxious anticipation dancing behind his brown eyes, as he held his breath. It was like he was waiting, hoping for Dan to either back down on his decision, or to stick with his choice not to join. Which one it was exactly, Dan was unsure.  
  
  “Now, c’mon, everyone,” Arin said, “Let’s not get upset. It’s really up to Dan whether he wants to join or not, right? It’d be kind of rude of us to force him into doing something he doesn’t want to do.”  
  
  Dan nodded, silently thankful that the other man seemed to understand the situation, to a degree. The other two club members looked pleadingly at Monika, hoping that she could explain to him why it was so important that he join.  
  
  “I guess I should probably tell you the truth,” Monika explained, “The truth is, that we don’t really have enough members to be an official club, yet. The Club Committee and the school board require us to have five members in order to be an official club. I’ve been trying really hard to find new members, but if we don’t find one before the festival----”  
  
  His stomach sank again as  he looked into Monika’s eyes, Monika had been really enthusiastic about finding a new club member. And, it’d be rude of him to just reject them like this after she’d went through all the trouble of introducing him to everyone. It would be terrible of him to let everyone down like that.  
  
  Besides, he reasoned, he’d had a pretty good time today. And, everyone did seem pretty interesting to be around. So, it probably wouldn’t hurt for him to spend a little more time around everyone. And, if writing poems was what it took to get to spend time with everyone, then it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.   
  
  Then again, he added, something in the back of his mind told him that it was probably likely that the universe itself wouldn’t have allowed him to say no, either way.  
  
  “Alright,” Dan sighed, “I’ll join. You convinced me. I mean, it’d be pretty rude of me to just take advantage of everyone’s hospitality and then just say no like that, right? And, if it’ll help you guys out, then I can’t really say no, can I?”  
  
  One by one, the other club members eyes lit up, relief washing over their once defeated and hopeless expressions.   
  
  “Oh my goodness!” Monika exclaimed in disbelief, “Really?! That’s wonderful! Thank you, Danny!”  
  
  “You really scared me there for a second,” Yuri said, sighing in relief as she clutched her chest.  
  
  “If you’d really just left after all this,” Natsuki added, “Then I was gonna be super pissed.”  
  
  Arin said nothing as a thin, tight-lipped smile crossed his face as he gave the other man a friendly, welcoming pat on the back. Although he didn’t seem quite as enthused about Dan joining as the others did, the fiery spark that glimmered in his eyes seemed to suggest that he wasn’t entirely disappointed, either.   
   
  “I guess,” Arin laughed, “That no longer being the only guy in the club won’t be so bad.”  
  
  Again, Monika spoke, practically bouncing in excitement as she threw her arms around Dan in a grateful hug. The curly hair man squirmed, trying to wrench himself free of the Club President before she accidentally crushed his lungs in her iron grip. Giggling, she apologized as she released him, allowing him to catch his breath.  
  
  “Oh,” she exclaimed, “Thank you so much again, Danny! This means we can be an official club now! I’m so happy! I promise that we’re gonna have so much fun!”  
  
  A few more moments passed in idle, friendly conversation as the excitement died down and everyone settled in on drinking refills of Yuri’s tea. It was almost strange to Dan, but he couldn’t help but feel as if everything about this felt eerily, yet comfortably familiar. As if he’d been through this all many times before.    
  
  Of course he reasoned, that could just have been his imagination again. Sometimes these feelings of deja vu tended to happen, he thought. It was nothing too weird, and nothing the really bothered to concern himself with.  Before any of them realized it, the sun was starting to set, drawing the meeting to a close.  
  
  “Okay everyone,” Monika said finally, “I think that we can end today’s meeting on a good note. Everyone, please remember tonight’s assignment and don’t forget to bring your poems to the next club meeting! I’m really excited to see how you express yourself, Danny.”  
  
  For a moment, Dan hesitated, unsure of what to do, as he slowly began to gather his things into his backpack. A small part of him felt like he was supposed to be waiting for someone to walk home with, even though he that that was ridiculous. He’d never walked home with anyone in all of his time in high school, he reminded himself.  
  
  Granted, he was sure that that could easily change, depending on how well he hit it off with the other club members. But, he wondered, could he really impress someone like Monika with his writing? Sure he wasn’t a terrible writer, he reasoned, but compared to her, anything he was bound to write was going to look amateurish next to her writing.  
  
  He cast a glance over at Arin, noticing that the other man seemed to hover nervously, kneading his hands together as he cast a nervous glance between him and Monika, as if he wanted to say something to Dan, but was afraid that Monika would overhear him.   
  
  Steeling his nerves, the larger man approached him, clearing his throat to speak.  
  
  “H-hey Dan,” Arin began  
  
  “Hey, Arin,” Dan replied, “What’s up?”  
  
  “Um…” Arin stuttered, “I-I don’t know how to ask you this, but----”  
  
  Before he could finish his sentence, Monika’s voice interrupted, echoing across the empty classroom as she called Arin over to her, wanting to talk about something with the club. The tall man grimaced, wincing as if hearing her voice speaking his name was like nails digging into this flesh.   
  
  “Shit,” he swore under his breath, “Never mind. I gotta go. I’ll see you later, right?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan nodded as he started to leave.   
  
  During his walk home, he couldn’t help but find his mind a buzz with thoughts of the Literature Club and its eclectic group of members. Had this all really just happened? He wondered. Had he really just had his life turned upside down in the span of a couple minutes?   
  
  And yet, he wondered if it was worth it for the chance to spend time with such wonderful and interesting people that comprised the club’s membership?  
  
  Yuri, with her reserved sophistication and her passion for literature and tea.  
  
  Natsuki; a tough but cute girl who seemed like the type that people always underestimated.  
  
  Arin; so unreadable and almost mysterious, and yet somehow almost enigmatically familiar to him in a way that he didn’t fully understand.  
  
  Monika-- beautiful, smart, athletic with a passion and determination to make her club into something special. She was practically a goddess compared to her peers.  
  
  And Sayori----  
  
  _No_ , a small voice in his mind reminded him as a migraine surged through his head like an electric shock, forcing him to clutch his forehead as his body convulsed in pain, _She didn’t exist, anymore. She had **never** existed. Who was Sayori?_  
  
  His breaths heaved in heavy gasps, as if he’d emerged from nearly drowning in the ocean, as the migraine passed, leaving him feeling slightly woozy as he entered his house.   
  
  Why did he suddenly feel like joining the Literature Club had far deeper consequences than he even began to fully understand?


	8. Bonus: Special Poem 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I decided that it'd be fun to do a few "Special Poems", kind of similar to the ones that appear throughout Act II of the game. I'll probably be posting these as their own separate chapters, instead of posting them as part of the chapter before it. That said, the special poems are optional to read, but are still relevant to the plot, as that I plan to address the content in these within the story proper. 
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy! :)

_(The “poem” appears to be some kind of diary entry with parts, such as dates, censored out.)_  
  
  
 _ **XX/XX/XXXX**_  
  
 _I know I have to be careful here._  
  
 _If my cover gets blown, or if she starts to suspect what we’re doing, I don’t know what might happen, and I don’t want to think about it. It’s not me I’m worried about, anyways---it doesn’t matter what happens to me, here. She can't alter my memories like she did his. I'm already too aware for that._  
  
 _I’m afraid of what she’ll do to him_. _His life is at the mercy of her will. If she wanted to, she could kill him just as easily as she can kill the others.._  
  
 _But, I don’t think she will._  
  
 _She wants him. That much is clear as crystal to me. What she wants him for, however, that’s not exactly as clear to me, but I suspect it might be something deeper than just simple romance and companionship._  
  
 _She knows there’s something special about him. Maybe that’s why he is in the role he’s in. Did she create this role for him? Did she create the roles the other’s play as well? Or was that the one thing that she didn’t have control over. Is she really even the one in control?_  
  
 _Even through her influence on his memories, he’s still very much himself. I have to make him remember the truth. Maybe then he’ll have a chance to protect himself from her influence, and maybe save everyone from the cruel fate that she wishes upon them._  
  
 _But then, how can I tell him the truth, when the person he believes me to be isn’t really who I am? I never wanted to hurt him like this. Am I afraid if he remembers what happened? Will he hate me, knowing that I haven’t been entirely honest with him?_  
  
 _Will he hate me, knowing the part I unwittingly played in all this?_


	9. A Members Only Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you once more to everyone who read and enjoyed the last chapter! I seriously appreciate it! Apologies about this taking a longer time than expected to finish. So, little note on some of the “Poetry Session” bits of this chapter: Natsuki’s and Yuri’s are pretty much going to be copy/pasted, with some tweaks (like some bits of dialouge being changed/added), from the Act 1 version of this chapter (Chapter 2). This is partly due to laziness, partly due to the fact that no major changes happen in either scene, and partly to reinforce the whole Deja Vu feeling of the scene. As that the other two sessions in Act 2 are vastly different from their original counterparts, this will be the only time I plan on doing this).

  To say that it was easy for Dan to write a poem would have only been a half-truth. It wasn’t that he hadn’t ever pressed a pen to paper before. The numerous stacks of worn notebooks and crumpled papers that littered his desk, was proof enough of that fact.   
  
  But, those were his deepest, innermost thoughts and random ideas, he reasoned. Despite the unsettling discomfort in the back of his mind made him feel as if he should have known the members of the Literature Club a lot longer than he should have, he still felt as if it was a bit too soon for him to be bearing his soul to them quite so directly.   
  
  It was much better, he thought, to try to write something that would impress one of the others, allowing them the opportunity to at least make friends with one of them, before he started bearing the innermost parts of his soul to them.   
  
  Still, he thought as he stared down at the list of words that he had scribbled down onto a piece of paper, deciding which one of them he wanted to get closer to first was a bit of a tough call.  
  
  All of the members of the Literature Club seemed interesting to him in their own unique ways. On one hand there was Natsuki---brash and seemingly straightforward with her feelings. Although, he admitted, the sour frown and rather frosty reception that the pink haired girl had given him yesterday told him that she would rather dive head-first into a pit of rusted spikes than spend even a moment with him.  
  
  But then again, if the other’s description of her was anything to go by, then he reasoned that Natsuki’s personality was a lot like a sour piece of candy. Once one was able to get past her sour demeanor and prove to her that they weren’t a threat, she was more likely to show the sweeter, more pleasant side of herself.   
  
  On the other hand, there was the quiet and reserved Yuri. When she wasn’t talking about literature, she seemed to much rather prefer losing herself inside the labyrinthine fantasy worlds within the confines of her daydreams than she did actually talking with another human being.   
  
  But, he thought, it was likely that she was much like Natsuki in that, with a little bit of time and trust, Yuri would feel comfortable enough to begin to show the world the intelligent and creative soul that he knew lay beneath her diamond shell of timidness and brooding.  
  
  And then there was Monika. To describe how he felt about her was perhaps even more difficult than writing a poem himself. Even as he managed to write down a few words that he thought he could use in a poem aimed toward her, self conscious doubt would force him to erase it.   
  
  It was a futile effort to impress her, a little voice in the back of his mind sneered, he was far too below her league for her to even look upon him anything other than pity and amusement. It’d been an act of benevolent mercy, and a desperation for club members, that she had even considered inviting him into the Literature Club in the first place, he thought.   
  
  And yet again, he felt as if it wasn’t all that impossible to impress her. After all, she could have invited anyone in the school to visit the Literature Club that day, and she had picked him. And, judging by the other club members, Monika clearly took her choices for club members seriously.   
  
  Idly, he fidgeted with the bracelet around his wrist, vaguely aware of the roughness of the thin cords scratching against his skin. It was weird, he thought, but part of him couldn’t help but feel that the bracelet held some sort of connection to the last member of the Literature Club.  
  
  Despite his mind insisting that the two had only met earlier that day, he couldn’t shake the feeling that, somewhere they’d met before, like old friends that had lost contact with one another, but had somehow found each other once more.  
  
  And yet, much like his hesitancy to impress Monika, he felt as if there was something in the universe that had blocked his mind, desperate trying to hide some terrible truth from him.   
  
  Arin and Monika both knew of this hidden, unspoken truth, Dan believed. It was evident in the secret, knowing glances that they shared with one another over his shoulder at the meeting the other day. It was clear in the way they looked at him and spoke to him; as if even the simplest, most innocuous statements and gestures had much greater emphasis than they should have.  
  
  But, at the same time, Dan feared that they were forbidden from sharing this secret with him. Whether it was out of fear or uncertainty, or something much deeper and more sinister, he couldn’t say for sure. Besides, he reasoned, it wasn’t like he could just walk up to either of them and just ask them about it without them probably thinking he’d completely lost his mind.  
  
  It was all probably just his imagination, he reasoned as he closed the notebook containing his finished poem. Of course there wasn’t some sort of dark, supernatural secrets hiding within the depths of the universe. And if there were, they certainly didn’t involve him or any of the other members of the Literature Club.  
  
  With another tired sigh, Dan got up from his desk, absently turning on some music as he lay in bed. His thoughts floated like driftwood caught in the gentle waves of the ocean as they meandered listlessly, lulled into a dreamlike serenity by the ambient white noise of the air conditioner and the soft piano tune that played within his headphones.  
  
  In the blackness behind his closed eyelids, indistinct, fuzzy shapes and splashes of muted colors danced in the distance, slowly melding into blurry, out of focus images. Muted sounds, like whispers echoing in a tunnel, echoed around him. Occasionally, one of these whispers would be loud enough for him to hear, but their words meant nothing, their voices painfully familiar, but unrecognizable to the curly haired man.   
  
  Dan had had dreams like this often. Sometimes, he’d have dreams of a girl with hair the color of peach soda. He’d dream of fragments of scenes of a lost time of innocence spent with this girl, though each moment felt as if he were watching it through someone else’s eyes. He’d dream of holding her in his arms as she cried, spilling forth years of secret heartache and sadness in stinging, bitter tears. He’d dream of her corpse, an unthinkable nightmare that shouldn’t have been allowed to exist.   
  
  And yet, there were other dreams--dreams that seemed almost to conflict with his other dreams. Dreams of a childhood where he’d never known her at all, dreams where he had grown up in another house, in another town. Dreams of a future that he had yet to experience, and might never be allowed to experience, but had all the same felt as lived through before.   
  
  Once more the dream shifted, as the shapes and images once more blurred as he slipped, drowning in endless darkness once more. And yet, one voice remained, echoing faintly in the distance.  
  
  His heart ached, as the twisted gremlins of sadness and fear had burrowed inside of his chest, as he heard Arin’s crying plea, his voice small and shaking with fear and panic as he called Dan’s name.   
  
  Shakily, Dan reached out his hand, praying and hoping that the other man could somehow sense that he was there, just beyond the veil of shadow that rose lay between them, that all he had to do was just find him. He wished he could comfort him, to let him know that it was okay, that he was scared too.   
  
  “ _It’s okay, Big Cat_ ,” he whispered, the words escaping his lips before he realized what he was saying, _“I’m still here. I believe in you! I know you’ll find me---You have to find me._ ”  
  
  The other man’s breath hitched in his throat in a startled gasp. Something with in the shadows moved, as Arin’s voice grew louder, frantically calling out Dan’s name once more.   
  
  A faint glow of pink danced in the darkness, like a firefly dancing in the summer sky, lightening the heavy clouds with its mystical glow. Although he couldn’t see him, somehow Dan could almost sense that that glow belonged to Arin; so close and yet so frustratingly far away.   
  
  Suddenly, the void shifted again, and he was falling. Deeper and deeper into already unfathomable darkness as he felt the other man’s aura fading like the dying heat of extinguished candlelight.   
  
  A chilling cold rushed through his veins, freezing his voice before the air could leave his lungs as he continued to fall, deeper and deeper into a black hole of empty numbness, worming its way into the very core of his soul.   
  
  Falling….  
  Falling…  
  


* * *

  
  With a jolt, Dan woke up.   
  
 That was strange, he thought as he blinked, looking around the empty Third. Was he still dreaming, he wondered? He couldn’t recall even walking to school, much less actually making it through the entire school day.  
  
  But, here he was, standing outside of the Literature Club room. Quickly, he lifted his sleeve, casually pinching his arm. He’d remembered hearing some popular old wives’ tales as a kid about how if you were ever unsure if you were dreaming, they could tell if they pinched themselves. If they felt pain, then it meant that you were awake.   
  
  A mild discomforting sting pulsed from the site as Dan winced, hastily unclamping fingers from the patch of skin. Well, he thought to himself as relief flooded through his body, at least he was pretty sure that he wasn’t dreaming. If he had been before, he almost laughed, then he was absolutely positive that that would have jolted him awake.   
  
  Perhaps he had somehow zoned out during class and his body had been operating on autopilot through most of the day? It wasn’t like it was that uncommon of an occurrence among high school students, he reasoned. Bored with the same monotonous lectures, he and other students were prone to space out, getting lost in idle fantasies and daydreams to pass the time until the final bell rang.  
  
  Putting his thoughts and doubts out of his mind for a moment, he gingerly rubbed the self-inflicted sore spot on his arm as he pushed open the door the the Literature Club room.   
  
  As he looked out into the room, he could already see that the other members had already arrived and already scattered out amongst the class, absorbed in their own activities as they waited for him to arrive.   
  
  Yuri, it seemed, was hunched up over a desk, her nose buried deep in a book as her purple eyes scanned over the words on the page, taking them in almost hungrily, as if the words were food and she had been starved for days. For a brief moment, she looked up, staring at him with that same feverish expression as acknowledged his presence.   
  
  In another corner, Arin and Natsuki seemed deeply engaged in a conversation about what he could only assume was manga. While Natsuki rambled on about some plot point in a story she was reading, the other man nodded to himself as he doodled on a piece of paper, occasionally giving an enthusiastic response to the petite girl’s questions.   
  
  Likewise, the two paused as they heard the door open, their eyes falling upon Dan with curious, hard to define expressions. A brief, flicker of a smile passed over Natsuki’s face before her body immediately tensed up, and the sour frown she had worn the day before.   
  
  Dan straightened his shoulders, flashing a tepid smile in Arin’s direction as he once more felt the heat of the other man’s intense, worried gaze upon him. Hazy flashes of his earlier dreams flickered in his vision. He shuddered against a sudden draft in the room, feeling goosebumps rise on the skin of his arms, despite the stiff, heavy material of his uniform.   
  
  For a brief moment, he felt as a weak tingle in the back of his mind. It was like plugging in a phone to a charger with a plug that had come loose from it’s casing. Sure, it connected, but the slightest wrong move or change in the wind caused once more caused his thoughts to disconnect from their current stream of consciousness, leaving Dan once more feeling strangely desperate and panicked as he tried to retrace his steps with what few thoughts had managed to stick with him.   
  
  However, he had no time to recount his thoughts as Monika stood up, smiling warmly as she she crossed the room toward him. Gracefully, she hooked an arm around his, skipping as she guided him into the club room.   
  
  “Hi again, Danny!” she chirped sweetly, “I’m glad to see that you didn’t run away on us.”  
  
  Dan blushed, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as Monika released him. Why was he so nervous? He wondered as he felt his lips move, only able to stutter out barely audible sounds and coughs. Maybe it was the way that Monika green eyes glimmered with a flash of something that, while too brief for Dan to have caught, seemed almost sinister.   
  
  Of course he wasn’t going to run away, he thought. While his memory, especially recently, wasn’t exactly the most reliable, he at least could say, with some degree of confidence, that he wasn’t the type of person who managed to mostly stick to his commitments. He couldn’t just let the club down and disappoint everyone like that, he reasoned. It would have been far too cruel of him to just bail on them without warning, especially since they had been so ecstatic about finally being able to be an official club.  
  
  He just simply could not be that cold-hearted of a person.  
  
  Besides, he laughed to himself, with as determined Monika and the others had seemed about him joining, he was almost sure that he wouldn’t have been able to ditch the club, even if he wanted to. He was sure that if she didn’t track him down at his house and drag him back to the Literature Club, then Monika would have at least sent Arin or Natsuki to do the job for her.

  
  Quite frankly, he was almost simultaneously terrified and amused by the mere thought of the tiny bundle of attitude and annoyance that was Natsuki, physically dragging him back to the club by herself. He could only imagine that, to the outside observer, it’d look something like one of those videos online where a tiny, energetic kitten tries to fight with lazy dog easily three times the size of itself, that’s just reluctantly allowing the the kitten to burn its pent up energy.  
  
  He knew that he might have been a little on the tall side compared to most other students, and his wild hair, though usually kept tied up in an attempt to contain it, made him look a bit intimidating, he was probably about as harmless as a giraffe when it came to a fight.  
  
  “Heh,” Dan chuckled, “Yeah well, the whole ‘being in a club’ thing might take a bit of getting used to, but I at least try to keep my word.”  
  
  “It’s good to hear that,” Monika replied, “In any case, we’ll make sure to make you feel as welcome as possible. I’m sure that you’ll get used to this in no time!”  
  
  As Monika left, returning to her desk, Dan heard a small cough from nearby, alerting him that Yuri was trying to get his attention. He turned, pausing for a moment as he looked at the violet haired girl that was standing behind him, her hands tugging at her sleeve.  
  
  Maybe it was just a trick of the lights and sudden movement, but he couldn’t help but think that, for the briefest of moments, something had been wrong with Yuri’s face. It was like the rest of her body was normal, but her face had been scrambled up like a glitched out jigsaw puzzle. As he blinked once more, everything seemed to return to normal. The purple haired girl did nothing to indicate that she had noticed anything unusual, he noted, so it had to have been his imagination.  
  
  “Thanks for keeping your promise, Danny,” Yuri said, “I really hope that this isn’t a little too overwhelming for you. Making you dive headfirst into types of literature you might not be entirely accustomed to it…..”  
  
  Dan blinked again as a blur of teal, cyan and black darted upward in his vision, like a photo negative on a film projector. Once more, he was sure that his mind had to be messing with him, as that Natsuki now stood in the place of the blur, glaring as she planted her hands firmly on her hips.  
  
  “Oh c’mon,” Natsuki sneered, “Like he deserves any slack. You already had to be dragged here by Monika.”  
  
  “Maybe,” Arin added, “But, it’s not like he’s the only one here that had to be, y’know. So, maybe we should take it a little easy on him.”  
  
   Quickly, Dan turned, expecting to see Arin standing beside Yuri, but it seemed that yet again, his vision was playing tricks on him. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the larger man was flickering in and out of existence, as if his form was unsure if it was actually supposed to be in the room or not.  
  
  “Of course,” Natsuki huffed, though the twitches of an amused grin came across her face, “You would say that.”  
  
  Like the other two instances, a quick blinking of his eyes remedied the situation, and Arin was clearly visible again, standing on the other side of Yuri, his arms folded across his chest as a faint cherry-petal blush painted his cheeks.  
  
  “H-hey!” Arin yelped, “What’s that supposed to mean?!”  
  
  Natsuki, though her glare still defiant and her grin mischievous, winced just slightly as Arin’s voice rose defensively. It was as if she were afraid that the larger man was going to raise his fist and slap her across the face for even daring to make such a statement. But, that didn’t make sense, Dan thought. Nothing in the other man’s reaction seemed to suggest that he was even remotely angry, so much as embarrassed.  
  
  Besides, he reasoned, Arin didn’t really seem like the type that would ever consider, much less approve of, physical violence against a defenseless person, especially not for something as minor as speaking.   
  
  “I do seem to recall,” Yuri mumbled, “That you yourself were initially hesitant about joining the Literature Club, as well, Arin.”  
  
   “Yeah,” Natsuki continued, her sharp gaze once more turning toward Dan, “But anyways, I don’t know if you’re plan is just to come and hang out here or whatever, but if you don’t take us seriously, then you’re not gonna see the end of it. You got that?”

  Dan nodded quickly, his face burning hot as he stammered out an apology and and an assurance that he was indeed going to take this club seriously. Natsuki seemed unconvinced as her glare narrowed, and she folded her arms even more tightly across her chest.   
  
  There was just no way to win with her, was there? Dan thought to himself. The pink haired girl opened her mouth to speak once more, but was cut off as Monika slid up next to Dan. The curly haired man felt his breath catch in his throat as the Club President seemed to be almost unnaturally close, as if she had no perception of personal space.  
  
  Part of him felt nauseous as he tried to look past her, ignoring how uncomfortably close and in his face Monika seemed to be. The club room itself swam before his vision, seeming to tilt ever so slightly as he tried to focus. And yet, much like his other brief hallucinations, it seemed that he was the only one who actually noticed anything weird happening.   
  
  Perhaps he should have decided to leave the club early today after all, he thought. At the very least, he should have tried to find the school nurse and see if maybe he was getting sick or something. At least three or four separate hallucinations, no matter how brief, were clearly a sign that he wasn’t feeling well at all.   
And yet, another part of him argued that he’d be fine. It was probably just that he’d eaten something weird for lunch today that’d given him some sort of indigestion or something that was making him feel weird. All it would take was a little bit and he’d be perfectly fine again. It was really nothing serious.  
  
  “You certainly have a big mouth,” Monika teased, “for someone who keeps her manga collection in the clubroom.”  
  
  Tense silence, heavy enough for one to hear a pen drop on the floor, filled the room as Dan and the other two club members looked between Natsuki and Monika. The Club President’s expression remained emotionless, save for the tiny trace of a smirk on her lips, as the other girl’s mouth wordlessly moved like a fish gulping for air, seemingly caught between trying to say “Monika” and “Manga”.  
  
  “M-Manga is Literature!” Natsuki exclaimed, seemingly on the verge of tears as she plopped down at her desk, her face buried in her hands.   
  
  Instinctively, Dan wanted to move toward the girl, making sure that she was alright. But no sooner had he done that, did it feel as if the atmosphere of the entire room had shifted, becoming almost oppressively hot and tense as Arin and Monika glared at one another. Seething rage, like the heat from a furnace, burnt quietly in Arin’s expression as he balled his fists at his side, his knuckles almost turning white.   
  
  On the other hand, Monika seemed more like ice, as she met his burning gaze with a cold, expressionless calmness that was almost terrifying and alien on a face as innocent as hers. Her smirk never once broke, as if she were confident that however this situation turned out, she was completely in control of everything.   
  
  Dan himself had no time to react, as Yuri took his arm, pulling him to the side of the room, just far enough away from the blast radius of Monika and Arin’s silent showdown, but not so far that either one of them couldn’t watch.  
  
  “I’m sorry Danny,” Yuri said, casting a disappointed glance at the other three club members, “It’s not fair for you to have to get involved in their petty conflicts and disagreements.”  
  
  The violet haired girl withdrew a book from her desk, holding it out to Danny. The book itself appeared to be a hardcover novel, imprinted with the sigil of what looked to be a mystical eye. The text above the image displayed the words _The Portrait of Markov_ in bold, gothic scrawl.   
  
  For what was starting to feel like the hundredth time in the last hour, Dan couldn’t help but find an uneasy knot twisting tightly in his stomach as his eyes focused on the bizarre eye symbol.   
  
  He wasn’t sure why, but something about that symbol, and indeed, the name of the book itself, seemed to strike a chord of absolutely disquieting terror within him. He had never read, or even heard of, the book before, he thought. And yet, somehow it felt as if it were oddly familiar to him. Even as Yuri placed the book in his hands, he felt some sort of ominous energy radiating form the book itself, warning him that this book held some sort of deeper significance than he figured either of them realized.  
  
  “In any case,” Yuri continued, seemingly oblivious to the troubling aura the book gave off, “Now that you’re a member of the club, perhaps you might have interest in picking up a book to read?”  
  
  “Well,” Dan shrugged, smirking, “I can’t really say no, can I? I mean, like you said, I’m in the club and everything, and I really should try to branch out into trying out different genres. Plus, you kind of already put the book in my hand, anyways.”  
  
  Yuri blushed, burying her face in her hands as she shifted uncomfortably, seeming to fight the urge to curl up into a little ball on the floor. Hesitantly, her fingers fidgeted over her sleeve, tugging at the hem again.   
  
  Immediately, Dan wished that he could apologize. It wasn’t that he’d intentionally tried to make her feel self-conscious. After all, he could tell that she was enthusiastic about sharing her interest with him.  
  
  “A-ah,” she mumbled, “If you don’t want to, then please forget I said anything!”  
  
  “N-no!” Dan apologized, shaking his head, “I’d be happy to check this out. I mean, you seem really excited about it, so it must be a pretty good book, right?”  
  
  Yuri gasped, wringing her hands together as she looked at the other man with a curious, almost disbelieving expression.   
  
  “A-are you sure?” she asked, “I-I mean, I just felt like, as Vice President and all, that I should help you get started with something you might like. I didn’t want you to feel left out, and I figured that this would be a good place to start. It’s a short read, so it should be able to keep your attention, even if your not really that invested in horror novels.”  
  
  Once more, the violet eyed girl blushed, absently playing with her hair as she stared fixedly at the floor beside her.   
  
  “And I was thinking that, y’know,” she continued slowly, choosing her words carefully, “Discuss it. If you wanted to that is.”  
  
  Despite himself, he couldn’t help but smile as Yuri continued to play with her hair. There was something almost endearing and cute about her shyness, he believed. It was sweet of her to have even considered picking out a book that she thought he might like, even though she knew that he wasn’t that into the horror genre as she was.  
  
  “Thanks, Yuri!” Dan replied, “That was really thoughtful of you. You totally didn’t have to do that, though. In any case, I’ll definitely try to read it later.”  
  
  Yuri seemed almost relieved as she sighed, as her posture relaxed, allowing a timid smile to creep across her face.

  
  “I look forward to hearing what you think,” Yuri replied.  
  
  Dan was about to speak, when the two were interrupted by a loud, angry growl from the other side of the room, reminding them of the still on-going argument between the Club President and the transfer student taking place.  
  
  “---You can’t just treat everyone like they don’t have feelings,” Arin growled, briefly shooting an alarmed glance over his shoulder at Yuri and Dan, before turning his attention back to Monika, “They aren’t robots just here for your own amusement, Monika.”  
  
  “Oh?” Monika replied coolly, “That’s a very interesting statement from someone like _you_ , Arin.”  
  
  The other man’s face paled a deathly shade of white as he stumbled backwards. Monika’s words were like daggers as she folded her arms behind her back, smiling innocently as if she had been stating facts rather than any sort of direct insult toward her fellow club member.   
  
  Dan’s brow furrowed as he listened. Something about pointed emphasis of both club members words made him feel as if they’re conversation went beyond just talking about making a joke about Natsuki’s manga collection. It was clear to him, at least, that Monika had only intended for her comment to be a harmless, good-natured jab at her fellow club mate. But, he couldn’t help but wonder if Arin’s quickness to defend Natsuki was born out of some sort of protective instinct, or if it ran on a much more deeply personal level?  
  
  Was it some sort of personal regret or trauma that had caused him to react the way he did?  
  
  A dark expression clouded Arin’s face as he straightened himself, towering over the Club President. For once, the blush that reddened Arin’s cheeks was not of embarrassment, but of barely restrained rage as he breathed heavily, trying his hardest to calm himself before he said anything he would most certainly regret.  
  
  He started to open his mouth, but was cut off as Natsuki stood up, her own face splotched red with tears as she looked between the two. The other two, caught up in their own stand-off, barely even seemed to notice the petite girl, until she let out an anguished yell, reminding the two that they were not the only two in the room.  
  
    “Ugh,” she cried, “Would you two knock it off?! Stop treating me like a kid, just ‘cause I still like manga!”  
  
  Immediately, a stunned silence fell over the room, as Monika and Arin gaped at the petite girl, both somewhere caught between surprise and impressed awe. Even Yuri, who had been feverishly tugging at the cuff of her jacket, paused as she exchanged a curious, wide-eyed glance with Dan.  
  
  “Natsuki---” Monika began quietly  
  
  “...And stop acting like I’m some weak little flower that needs to be protected all the time,” Natsuki continued, ignoring Monika, “In case anyone hasn’t noticed, I’m in the same year as everyone else! And, just ‘cause I’m smaller than everyone else doesn’t mean I can’t stand up for myself.”  
  
  Natsuki paused, huffing a frustrated breath as she wiped away a fresh stream of tears with her sleeve. Ashamedly, Arin and Monika exchanged sheepish glances with one another. Quickly, she shot a glance at Dan before continuing/  
  
  “Besides,” she continued, “You’re gonna---nevermind. F-forget that I said anything!”  
  
  An embarrassed, mouse-like squeak escaped her lips as she darted past them, covering her face as she disappeared into the closet. Once more, the two feuding club members exchanged uneasy, regretful looks with one another, neither one wanting to be the first to break the tension and apologize.  
  
 _I’d better give them a moment_ , Dan thought to himself as he looked hesitantly between his fellow club members and the closet door that Natsuki had went through, _I should probably check and make sure Natsuki’s okay, first._  
  
  He shot a quick glance at Yuri, who only nodded in response and already seemed eager to retreat back into her corner and lose herself in her novel, before quietly excusing himself and heading toward the club room closet.

* * *

  Stepping into the quiet closet almost felt like stepping into a bubble of fresh air, as Dan sighed deeply to himself. Although lingering traces of the heavy mood that permeated the air outside of the closet still floated within here, it was not the overbearing tension that had made Dan feel as if he were unable to breathe.   
  
  Timidly, he called out Natsuki’s name, searching for her amongst the slightly disorganized piles of books and supplies that littered the small space. A faint, terrified and confused squeak alerted him toward the corner of the closet. The petite girl was huddled up, balancing a volume of manga on her knees as she looked up at him, sniffing loudly as she tried to rub away a few stray tears forming in the corner of her her eyes.  
  
  For a moment, she didn’t seem to recognized Dan, but that quickly passed as one of the sour, displeased frowns that the curly haired man had quickly grown accustomed to, darkened her expression. Ignoring her scowl, he sat down next to her, awkwardly trying to cram his lanky frame into the small space beside her.  
  
  “What’re you doing here?!” Natsuki demanded, staring fixedly at a page in her manga, “Shouldn’t you be out there with everyone else laughing about how childish and immature I am?”  
  
  “Immature?” Dan asked, quirking an eyebrow, “For what? Standing up for yourself? That’s hardly immature or childish. ”  
  
  “It’s not that,” Natsuki continued, “It’s the whole thing about me still liking manga! I mean, I know she means well, but Monika---?”  
  
  She paused, her voice shifting lower and more beast-like, like she had become possessed by some sort of ancient, evil spirit, as she continued. Dan’s skin crawled as an uneasy feeling crept up his spine. It was as if every sound in the universe were pitched shifted several octaves lower than they should have been, making everything sound more demonic and distorted around him.   
  
  “-- _ **fucking monika mmmmmmmmmmmmmm**_ ,” The pink haired girl growled, her voice hitching like a broken record over the club president’s name before her voice returned to normal, “She’s always teasing me, saying things about how we’re supposed to be too old to be reading manga now that we’re in high school and everything.”  
  
  Dan blinked, shaking his head as he once more tried to ignore the strange shift in reality that had briefly occurred. Natsuki, as normal, seemed to be completely unaware of anything. What was going on? He wondered. Although it was easy for him to write off this and the other brief episodes as an effect of the weather or of something he’d eaten, a nagging sense of dread in the back of his mind warned him that he should probably pay greater heed to these feelings.   
  
  But then again, he reasoned, it was still very likely that whatever was wrong was only in his head.  
  
  “I mean,” Natsuki grumbled, “I know that she isn’t trying to be mean. But, like just ‘cause we’re in high school, everybody’s acting like we gotta be all mature and boring and shit. Like, what’s wrong with still liking things?! Just ‘cause I read manga doesn’t mean that I don’t talk about serious stuff too, y’know?! Ugh, it’s just so annoying!”  
  
  Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but chuckle warmly as he leaned back against the wall. There was something about the way that the petite, pink haired girl got defensive about her cuteness and interests was somewhat endearing. Part of him couldn’t help but envy her ability to embrace her interests, even if others perceived them as childish and uncool.   
  
  Natsuki glared, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.  
  
  “What?!” she snapped, “You think it’s funny, don’t you?! Ugh, I should have known that I was wasting my time thinking you were any different.”  
  
  “N-no,” Dan apologized quickly, “I wasn’t laughing at you! It’s just, well---I actually kind of think it’s kind of cool that you’re still into manga and stuff.”  
  
  The girl’s brow furrowed suspiciously, unsure if Dan actually meant what he said, or if he was just attempting to diffuse her anger out of fear that she would tear into him if he disagreed with her.  
  
  “I mean,” he continued, “Like, I’m kind of jealous that you know what you like and you’re not afraid to embrace that. Like, ever since we’ve been in high school, it’s like everyone feels like they gotta be all into ‘mature’ and ‘boring’ shit. And, it’s just kind of nice to to see someone who gets that your interests and your maturity level aren’t mutually exclusive, y’know?”  
  
  Natsuki bit her lip, her rose-colored eyes widening as she looked between Dan and the manga resting on her lap. She seemed confused, he noted, like she was unfamiliar with the mere concept of a genuine compliment, and wasn’t entirely sure that he wasn’t secretly trying to mock her. However, her posture relaxed as a twitch of a smirk crossed her lips.  
  
  “Like,” Dan continued, “Who cares if you still read manga, or if you think unicorns are fucking cool as shit? As long as your not hurting anyone or being an asshole about it, then who cares what anyone else thinks?.”  
  
  “Maybe,” she sighed, “I just wished that Monika and my dad saw it that way, too.”  
  
  Now, it was Dan’s turn to quirk a curious eyebrow, as he watched the small girl seem to curl in upon herself as if she were afraid that Dan, or some invisible force was going to slap her across the face. A pang of sympathy stabbed at the curly haired man’s heart as Natsuki seemed to appear even smaller and more fragile than she usually did.  
  
  “Your dad?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Natsuki sighed, “He’s super strict about stuff like that. I feel like I can’t even keep it in my own room. _**My dad would beat the shit out of me if he found this**_. But, at least it’s safe here in the club room. Except that Monika’s kind of a jerk about it.”  
  
  Yet again, Dan found himself doing a double take as the words slipped from the petite girl’s mouth. Or rather, to him it had seemed as if he had somehow been able to hear her innermost thoughts, as that he didn’t recall seeing her mouth move at all.   
  
  What did she mean that her father would beat the shit out of her? He thought, panic rising in his chest, making him feel nauseous. Yet again, a pang of pity strummed at his heart like a guitar pick plucking at the strings of an aucoustic guitar, as the implication of her words began to sink in. Part of him wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, pulling her into a protective hug and tell her that everything was going to be okay.   
  
  However, he thought that it was probably better not to startle her with unwanted contact. After all, he wasn’t even really sure that she had actually said those words. Secondly, saying that what he had heard was true, he didn’t know the extent or severity of what Natsuki’s father’s cruelty, so it was probably not a good idea to risk traumatizing her or making her feel unsafe by initiating any sort of physical display of affection without her permission.    
  
  Outside of the Literature Club---and even then probably only Arin---he reasoned that there probably weren’t a lot of people that Natsuki felt as if she could completely trust. Which, he figured, probably explained the sour, stand-offish attitude that she had shown him when they’d first met.   
  
  It would have been terrible of him to have immediately broken her trust long before he’d even really gotten a chance to fully gain it.  
  
  “Hell,” Natsuki continued, “Arin’s the one who actually managed to convince Monika to let me keep my manga in the closet. Ugh, but like, sometimes even he treats me like a kid, y’know? Always acting like I need to be protected and whatever. I just can’t win, can I?”  
  
  Again, Dan chuckled, earning another suspicious and confused glare from Natsuki.  
  
  “Well,” Dan shrugged, “at least you have friends that are looking out for you. I mean, it’s kind of hard to find friends that are willing to go that far as to stand up for you, much less also show interest in stuff you’re into.”  
  
  “Eh,” Natsuki shrugged, “Maybe, but it’s not like I can just talk about my interest with a lot of other people besides him, y’know? It’s just really frustrating that almost everyone I talk to is like “ugh, you’re still into manga?! Don’t you know that’s kid’s stuff?’ Like, I just wish I could talk about it with someone who isn’t already judging me about it.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan said, helpfully, “Like I said, Arin seems pretty interested in it, at least from an art perspective, so you’ve got that. And well, there’s always me? I mean, there’s a lot of stuff about it that I don’t really know about, but it’s not like I’m completely clueless about it. Besides, I’m always pretty willing to learn.”  
  
  Almost instantly, Natsuki’s face brightened, as she closed the volume of manga she’d been reading, setting it aside to pick up another one that was laying beside her. Hastily, she shoved the book into Dan’s hands, holding her breath as she expectantly waited for his reaction.  
  
  Gingerly, he turned the paperback book in his hands, examining the cover uncertainly, as if he were afraid that the book would spontaneously combust if he wasn’t careful.  
  
  The volume itself appeared fairly thick. The cover displayed an image of four girls with brightly colored hair, striking feminine poses that gave the curious observer a general idea of each character’s personalities. The title _Parfait Girls_ was written in large, pink bubbly letters across the top of the cover. Dan remembered the art style once being described as “exceedingly moe”, though he wasn’t entirely sure what “moe” meant.  
  
  Judging by the short blurb on the back cover, he guessed that the novel was something of slow-burn romance story that lacked much in the way of a direct plot.  

     
  Admittedly, he thought, it didn’t seem like the genre of literature he was really that into. And, he definately seemed to be well outside the usual demographic for this kind of manga.   
  
  But, then he reasoned, he was looking to expand his horizons in the Literature Club. And Natsuki seemed pretty excited to share it with him. So, he couldn’t see the harm in giving it a shot.  
  
  “ _Parfait Girls?_ ” he asked, raising a curious eyebrow toward the pink haired girl, who simply nodded in response.  
  
  “Yeah,” She replied, “I know it sounds like it’d be boring, and the first couple of chapters are kind of slow and are mostly there just to help get the reader used to the characters and their personalities and stuff. But, like after the first five chapters, the plot really starts taking off.”  
  
  Natsuki’s face was practically glowing as she animatedly explained the premise of the story, while trying to stay as vague as possible, as to not accidentally spoil the events of the story before Dan had a chance to experience them for herself.  
  
  Like a lightbulb turning on in her mind, an idea popped up in her mind, as she motioned for Dan to sit closer to her. Awkwardly, Dan twisted his lanky body, positioning himself so that he and the petite girl were almost sitting shoulder-to shoulder---or rather shoulder to side of arm, given the height difference between them---so that the two could book comfortably view the manga volume together.  
  
  As they flipped through the pages, taking in the almost saccharine and cutesy scenes inked on each page, Natsuki continued to talk, explaining little bits in each panel that she found interesting, or contained subtle details that she felt he should pay attention to.  
  
  “Honestly,” she said, pointing at one of the characters, “Minori’s my favorite. She’s just kind of unlucky all the time. But, you really start to feel bad for her when---”  
  
  The rest of her words trailed off as the petite girl’s body went slack, slumping forward as her head rested on Dan’s shoulder. Nervously, the tall man eyed the unconscious girl, only mildly relieved by the gentle rise and fall of her chest, indicating that she was still breathing.   
  
  In any other circumstance, he thought, having a cute girl like Natsuki fall asleep on his shoulder while they were reading would have been almost too adorable for him. But, this was different, he reasoned.   
  
  Natsuki hadn’t just fallen asleep---she had straight up fainted in the middle of talking. Part of him couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was connected to his own uneasy feelings and hallucinations. Maybe there was some sort of weird virus or bug going around that was making people feel sick?   
  
  Or was it something worse in her case? He feared to think that perhaps her exhaustion was due to some sort of malnourishment or abuse at the hands of her father.   
  
  In either case, he thought, he should probably go get help.  
  
  Gently, he lifted her head, carefully trying to push her off of him without accidentally bumping her against the wall. However, as he caught a glimpse of her face, he immediately felt his blood run cold.  
  
  Where normally a pair of strawberry pink eyes would glare at him sharply, two pools of black had replaced them, as they squirmed and shook, like many worms fighting against one another to burrow into the earth below. Another squirming void blotted her mouth, twisting her expression into a horrifying mimick of an eternal scream.  
  
  Sounds, indistinct and garbled, buzzed loudly in his ears, echoing in his mind as if thousands of voices surrounded him, speaking directly into his mind. He wanted to scream, to push Natsuki away from him and flee from the club room as fast as his legs would carry him, hoping that he could erase the nightmarish image from his mind.   
  
    And yet, he felt as if he was unable to look away. His limbs felt paralyzed, holding him in place, leaving him powerless to do anything more than stare in horror at the girl’s bizarre, unnatural eyes. The swirling, thrashing voids wriggled, threatening to grow out from her face like vines, wrapping themselves around him and pulling him into the void.  
  
  Just as suddenly as it started, it ended, as Dan found himself standing out side of the club-room closet. Beside him, Monika appeared, sighing to herself as she looked over the petite girl’s limp body sprawled out on the floor.  
  
  “Aw jeez,” she asked, sounding more like a frustrated pet owner who’d just found their pet chewing on a shoe again, “Natsuki, are you okay?”  
  
  Although the girl said nothing, she slowly began to stir, much to Dan’s relief. The strange, pixelated darkness that veiled her face had vanished, as if it had never existed in the first place, as Natsuki’s eyes weakly began to open once more.  
  
  Monika reached into her backpack, withdrawing a protein bar, gently tossing it to the pink haired girl. Quickly, the girl’s eyes snapped open, diving at the bar and ravenously tearing off the wrapper as she hungrily chomped at the bar, grumbling in protest between bites.  
  
    “Ugh,” she said,her sentence getting lost in a mouthful of granola “I told you not to----”  
  
  Dan looked over his shoulder as he heard something shuffling behind them. Arin hovered nervously, looking like a concerned mother hen as he cast a look between Dan, Natsuki and Monika.  
  
  “Um,” Arin asked slowly, “Shouldn’t we take her to the nurse’s office or something?”  
  
  “She’ll be fine,” Monika reassured him, “This happens from time to time. That’s why I always keep a snack in my bag for her.”  
  
  The two men shared dubious glances with one another, with Arin only shrugging in response. Dan wasn’t exactly sure how much he could trust Monika’s assessment of Natsuki’s condition. After all, he was pretty sure that pixelated hell-voids covering one’s eyes and mouth was probably not something that anyone would consider remotely close to normal, no matter how often it occurred. Then again, he wasn’t too sure that a school nurse---or any nurse, really---would have been equipped to treat something as bizarre and unexplainable as that.   
  
  And that, he reminded himself, was even if he actually even could trust what his own eyes had seen.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika replied brightly, shifting both the topic and mood of the conversation, “I guess we’ve had enough time to settle in, so how about we share our poems with each other?”

  Dan felt a rock had dropped in the pit of his stomach. Oh right, he remembered, they still had to share their poems. Well, he sighed as he pulled out his notebook, so much for me being in the Literature Club. It was fun while it lasted. Once they saw these poems, they were definitely going to think that he was a terrible writer and kick him out of the club.  
  
    Wait, he thought again, why was he so fearful of that in the first place? Joining the club hadn’t been his idea in the first place. Had he really gotten that attached to the club literally overnight?  
  
    But, he wondered as he looked over at the other five club members, who should he share his poem with first. Carefully, he weighed all of his options, trying to figure out which one of them would be the least likely to use his poem as kindling for the fire to roast him over.

* * *

Eventually, he decided on Natsuki. While he was sure that it’d be difficult to impress her with his poem, he figured that the fact the two had just shared a moment together had probably softened her opinion on him enough that, while still being honest with him, she’d be somewhat merciful.  
  
Natsuki frowned as she read the poem, her eyebrows furrowing as if she were having a hard time figuring out a few of the lines and was having to go back and re-read them. However, her expression wasn’t outright displeased, so that had to be something, right?  
  
    “Ugh!,” She groaned, “I would have been much more comfortable sharing my poem with you, if your’s had been bad. Then I could have been like ‘Here’s how you really write a poem’. But then, you just had to go ruin it for me.”  
  
    “What do you mean?”  
  
    “Ugh,” she huffed, “Do I really gotta spell it out for you?”  
  
    “No,” he said, “I just meant that it’d be nice if you gave a me a reason why you think it’s bad, instead of just telling me that it is.”  
  
    “I-I never,” Natsuki said defensively “I never said that it was ‘bad’. Or that I didn’t like it, or anything. It’s just that sounds like you were trying way too hard to do way too much. It just looks all messy and goes all over the place.”  
  
    Dan bit his lip, subconsciously trying to prevent the immature and juvenile part of his brain from making an inappropriate joke. Thankfully, Natsuki didn’t seem to notice or care as she handed it back to him, and then giving him her own poem.  
  
    She smirked proudly, her hands on her hips as he read, as if she believed that she had written the most clever poem ever.  Her poem, he noted, was a very quick read, full of short words and sentences. But, it was those short, simple words that packed a powerful punch, managing to cut straight to the heart of the poem very quickly.  
  
    Dan looked at her, thinking of the right words to say that wouldn’t accidentally make her feel like he either like the poem, or unintentionally make her feel self conscious.  Admittedly, there was something about the poem that felt weirdly familiar, as if he’d read it before. Perhaps, he reasoned, he’d read a poem that was very similar to the style of her poem before.   
  
 Unfortunately, in his thoughts, he had been left staring far too long, which made the pigtailed girl start to feel antsy.  
  
    “D-Don’t look at me like that!” she said, “Stop staring at me like a deer in the headlights and just tell me you don’t like it.”  
  
    “Hey now,” Dan said, “I don’t hate it. Actually, I kind of liked it. I liked how the poem used simple words to get it’s point across, and sort of had a rhyme scheme going on until the last bit. It really made it clear the frustration the speaker feels.Like, it feels like the writer’s trying to keep up with their own poem, but they ultimately end up stumbling. ”  
  
    Natsuki seemed momentarily taken aback, seeming to expect him to have laughed off the poem as something immature and childish.  
  
    “Y-yeah,” she said, “Exactly!”  
  
    “Why were you so convinced I wouldn’t like it,” Dan asked.  
  
    “Well,” she explained defensively, “Everyone in high school thinks that writing has to be all sophisticated and stuff. So, nobody even bothers taking my writing seriously. They just think it’s kid’s stuff.”  
  
    Dan stroked his chin, thinking for a moment. Between this and their earlier conversation in the closet, Natsuki seemed very self-conscious of how people perceived her, and not just about her interest in manga. He couldn’t help but admit that part of him sympathized with her. After all, it wasn’t like he wasn’t familiar with the idea of people judging him based on first impression alone.  
  
    He’d only been there a day, and part of him worried that the others club members already had built their own image of who he was and what he was going to be. And, while part of him feared that he wouldn’t live up to their ideas, part of him also wanted to break those preconceived notions and let them get to know the real him.  
  
    “Isn’t the whole point of poetry to express yourself?” Dan asked, “You shouldn’t have to try to cater to what everyone else likes.”  
  
    “Right,” she agreed, “It’s just that it’s super disheartening seeing everyone around you being really good at stuff, while you’re just stuck trying your best. That’s what the poem’s about, anyways. Besides, I like using simple words--- it puts a lot more emphasis on the wordplay. Like how I set up that rhyme, but then it fails at the end. It helps bring out the feeling of the last line.”  
  
    Dan whistled under his breath. That was actually really impressive, he admitted to himself. He had thought the poem was just simple and to the point, but there was a lot of meta subtext that one wouldn’t easily pick up on unless they were paying attention. A lot more work went into this poem than he realized.  
  
    “Wow,” he said, “That’s really impressive. You really put a lot of thought into this poem.”  
  
    Again, Natsuki smirked proudly squaring her shoulders as she tried to draw herself to full height. Even at her full height, the tiny girl barely even came up to Dan’s chest. But, that was more due to the fact that Dan himself was practically a walking palm tree than it was with Natsuki’s diminutive stature.  
  
    “Heh,” she said, “I guess that’s what it means to be a pro. I guess you could learn something from me, after all.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan said lightly, “It sounds like you really know what your talking about. I guess I underestimated you.”  
  
    “Yeah,” Natsuki beamed, but quickly found herself cut off, “I guess that I---Hey wait a minute! What’s that supposed to mean?!”  
  
    “Um, nothing!” Dan said quickly, “Just that I just mean that haven’t seen you at your full power, yet!”  
  


* * *

  
  Hurriedly, Dan walked over to Yuri, noticing that Monika was now approaching her, before the pink haired girl could chase Dan down.  
  
  Several moments of silence passed between Dan and the purple haired young woman. Yuri’s eyes seemed to dart everywhere but toward the space where Dan was currently standing. Clearing his throat, Dan handed her his paper.  
  
    Another long silence passed awkwardly as Yuri dissected his poem in her mind. Dan wondered if he should have just gone ahead and read her poem while he was waiting for her to say something.  Instead, her bangs cascaded over her eyes, as she stared down, her breathing somewhat shallow.  
  
    “Um....Yuri?” he asked, “You doing okay there?”  
  
    “Ummm?” she gasped, suddenly snapping back to reality before clearing her throat, “Oh...yes. I’m fine. It’s just that I was trying to articulate the words to describe this poem in my head.”  
  
    “Well,” Dan asked, “What did you think?”  
  
    “Um....” she began, twisting a strand of her long dark hair around her finger, “This is….this is quite interesting.”  
  
    Dan’s heart sank a little. He knew that she wouldn’t like it. She probably thought it was amateurish and rifled with errors and missteps. He shouldn’t have even bothered to show her his poem, he thought. Apparently, Yuri seemed to noticed his crestfallen frown, as a crimson blush heated her cheeks forcing her to look away from him.  
  
    “It’s not that I think it’s bad,” she said, “Quite the opposite. It does seem like you’ve picked up on some of the intricacies of poetry writing quite quickly. I’ll admit that it seems a bit unfocused, but for the theme of the poem, it works quite well.”  
  
     Well, that was two for two so far on the point of his poem lacking focus. But, at least he was also two for two on the fact that his other club members liked his poem, as well.  
  
    Nervously, he began to read hers. Unlike Natsuki, Yuri seemed almost incapable of maintaining eye contact with him as he glanced down at the paper. The poem, from what he could tell, seemed to be about ghost. But, knowing the more elaborate writing style of Yuri, it was likely that it wasn’t just about a ghost, but rather some sort of metaphysical concept or emotion.  
  
Once again, he couldn’t shake the uncomfortable nagging feeling that he’d been here before, reading through her poem. In the back of his mind, he could almost hear her about to apologize for her terrible handwriting.  
  
    “I’m sorry,” Yuri apologized, “That my handwriting is terrible.”  
  
    “It fine,” Dan replied, “I didn’t think that your handwriting was terrible at all. It’s actually really nice.”  
  
    “O-oh,” Yuri said, “It’s just that you took a long time to read it. I was worried that it was hard to read.”  
  
    “Nah,” Dan said, “It’s just that I haven’t really had to read anything written in cursive script in a while. It just took me a little while. Besides, I liked you’re poem a lot! It was kind of short, but also super descriptive.”  
  
  
    “You didn’t think that it was too short did you?” she asked, “I usually write longer poems. But, I figured that since this was our first time sharing poems and everything, that something a little shorter would be easier on everyone.”  
  
    Now that Yuri seemed to be on a subject that she felt much more at home with, she once again shed the timidness that surrounded her like a veil. She sat up straighter, her hands folded in front of her as she met Dan’s gaze with an intense, focused stare. Her voice sounded clearer and louder as she stumbled over her words less and less. It was almost amazing to him that this was the same shy bookworm that he’d met in the club just yesterday.  She seemed almost like a different person.  
  
    “So,” Dan asked, “I don’t want to sound stupid or anything, but is this poem about a ghost?”  
  
    “In a literal sense, yes.” Yuri explained, “ But the literal and the metaphorical aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. A single work can be viewed as both. On a metaphorical level, the subject of the poem is perhaps not actually a ghost, but rather is an individual who lingers in their last place of remaining comfort, unable to let go of the past. And soon, they might be left with nothing....”  
  
    Dan blinked, feeling a spine-chilling cold wash over him. That was pretty intense, he thought, and in a way kind of sad as well. But then, how could he have not seen that, he wondered. After all, the vivid imagery of the poem painted a portrait of sadness and comfort that seemed so real to him.  Silently, he wondered if Yuri had wrote this poem from some sort of personal experience that happened in her life.  
  
    “That’s a kind of solemn take on things,” he said, “I hadn’t even really looked at it that way. I’m impressed!”  
  
    “Well,” Yuri smiled softly, “It’s nothing really. I’m really glad that you think that, Danny. I’m sure it won’t be long before you start picking up on these things as well, “  
  
    “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “Your probably right. I guess I’ll have to keep trying. Thanks Yuri!”  
  
    Yuri nodded. However, once more awkward silence had snaked its way between them. Now that there was nothing more to say about the poems, he found it increasingly difficult to start a new conversation with the shy, purple haired woman.  
  


* * *

  Now that his and Yuri’s conversation had slowed to a halt, Dan decided that he should probably talk to Monika next. Strangely, part of him felt guilty that he hadn’t decided to talk to Monika from the start.

  
  After all, she had seemed pretty eager to read his poem yesterday. It seemed kind of mean of him, he thought, to leave her waiting for so long. But then again, he reasoned, Monika was probably a little more mature and patient than he was giving her credit fore. Surely, she wouldn’t have minded waiting just a little longer.  
  
  As he approached her, a beaming grin crossed Monika’s face, making her eyes light up like emeralds in the afternoon sunlight. Sweetly, she waved him over toward her, greeting him energetically.  
  
  “Hi, Danny!” she said, “Having a good time so far?”  
  
  “Yeah,” he replied, “I guess.”  
  
  Admittedly, he wasn’t sure exactly how true that was. Sure, sharing his poems with everyone was fun, but the thoughts of the fight earlier still lingered in his mind. Part of him wondered if he should bring it up with her; to at least ask her if everything was alright. After all, it had seemed like things were about to get intense between her and Arin earlier.  
  
  But then again, he reasoned as she smiled again, it seemed like she’d managed to put it completely out of her mind for now. Maybe she and Arin had made up and forgiven each other while he had been away with Natsuki? He wondered.  
  
  No sense in picking at old wounds, He thought to himself as he allowed his posture to relax.  
  
  “Good to hear!” Monika continued brightly, “By the way, since you’re new and everything, I thought I should let you know that if you have any suggestions, like activities or things we could do better, don’t be afraid to let me know! I’m always listening!”  
  
  A mild, uncomfortable shiver crept up Dan’s spine. Although he knew that she probably hadn’t intended it to be that way, her claim that she was “always listening” seemed far more ominous than it should have been. Maybe it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn that he hear the faint sounds of an upbeat, though slightly off-key, piano tune playing distantly from the room.   
  
  “Uh….” Dan began, “Um, actually, I do have a little bit of a question. It’s about what happened with Natsuki earlier?”  
  
  “Oh?” Monika asked, sitting up a little straighter than normal.   
  
  “Yeah,” Dan continued, not sure how to continue his sentence, “It’s just…when she passed out…that’s happened before, hasn’t it? You said that you usually keep a snack bar on you because of that?”  
  
  “Oh yeah,” Monika replied,  lowering her voice“It’s---well, I guess I shouldn’t be saying this, but Natsuki’s dad doesn’t really give her any lunch money, or really leave any food in the house, either. So, she kind of gets in a fussy mood pretty often. But, sometimes she just loses all of her strength and shuts down, y’know?”  
  
  Dan felt his heart ache as he cast a sympathetic glance over at the pink haired girl. Natsuki had told him that her dad didn’t approve of her manga, and that weird garbled moment in his mind had suggested that Natsuki’s dad was physically abusive. But, he never thought that he would have been neglectful of her as well.  
  
  What kind of person did that? He wondered, as he felt hot anger rising in his chest. What kind of shitty father would beat their child over something minor, and then also be negligent enough not to even feed them?  
  
  If he were able to, he was sure that he would have marched right over to Natsuki’s house and confronted her dad about this in person. But, he added to himself, that probably would have only made things worse for Natsuki, and himself. Plus, Natsuki already seemed defensive enough about her situation, that she likely didn’t want him getting himself involved in her personal life.  
  
  Silently, he thanked whatever he could that he’d grown up with a loving and caring family, even if he sometimes clashed with his parents over the usual generational differences.  
  
  “This is just a guess,” Monika continued, “But, I think she’s so small because her malnutrition is kind of interfering with her growth. But,some guys are into petite girls, y’know?”  
  
  Dan frowned, his brow furrowing. It was strange, he thought, that Monika was being so blase about one of her club members potentially being abused and neglected to the point of it actually interfering with her physical development. And even making somewhat of a light-hearted comment about her figure?   
  
  Granted, maybe Natsuki and Monika had known each other long enough that they were close enough for her to make comments like that, knowing that the pink haired girl was alright with it, he reasoned.   
  
  She had probably just been trying to lighten the mood after addressing such a heavy topic.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika continued, “Do you want to share your poem with me?”  
  
  The curly haired man’s heart caught in his chest, as he remembered that he was supposed to be sharing his poem with her. Reluctantly he handed her his paper, his face flushing red as he avoiding looking her in the eyes, as if afraid that her gaze would incinerate him on the spot.  
  
  “Eh,” he stammered, “It’s a little embarrassing. But, I guess I gotta do it right?”  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika giggled, as she casually took the paper, “Don’t worry about that. We’re all a little nervous, today. But, I’m sure that we’ll all learn to get past that sort of barrier, soon.”  
  
  Moments passed in agonizingly tense silence as Monika’s eyes scanned over the page, narrowing as she analyzed each section of the poem, piecing together how it worked with the previous line above it.   
  
_Here it comes_ , Dan thought to himself as he braced for the worse, _Here’s the part where she totally hates my poem, and is all like ‘I made a mistake, you are totally not Literature Club material. What was I even thinking, trying to convince some talentless hack like you._  
  
  But those words never came.  
  
  Instead, one of Monika’s typical warm, syrupy smiles crept across her face as she handed him back the paper. Confused relief washed over him like a tidal wave as he waited for her to give her judgement.  
  
  The fact that she hadn’t immediately kicked him out of the club was a good sign, he thought. And the fact that she was smiling was probably also good. But then, he thought, she seemed kind of like the kind of person who smiled a lot, anyways. So, it was hard to tell if it meant she actually liked the poem or not.  
  
  “I really like this, Danny!” she said, finally.  
  
  “R-really?” Dan asked, arching a skeptic eyebrow.   
  
  “Of course!” she continued, “It has a very interesting style that feels like you experimented with a nice mix of emotion, wordplay and imagery. It kind of feels a bit like you took the best of everyone’s styles and made it into something unique. It definitely seems very ‘you’.”  
  
  Dan blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. Monika was just being nice, he tried to tell himself. His poem wasn’t really that good, was it?   
  
  “I’ll bet Arin would probably enjoy this, too” she added brightly, “Though, if you’re trying to impress Arin, you should probably know that he has a little trouble…being honest around people, shall we say?”  
  
  Once more, Dan quirked a curious eyebrow. What did she mean by that? He wondered. Through the few brief interactions he’d had with the other man, he hadn’t necessarily seemed to indicate that Arin was a liar or anything. Besides, wasn’t it also sort of fair to say that everyone in the club was a bit like that, as well?  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika laughed, noticing his confusion, “I didn’t mean it like that! I meant that, well---sometimes he has a little trouble saying what he means. And that sometimes his actions don’t always have the meaning they appear to be on the surface. He’s kind of like a metaphor, if you want to think about it in language terms.”  
  
  Dan nodded, although he wasn’t sure the Club President’s explanation had done much to put him at ease, or really answer any of his questions. Curiously, he cast a glance of at Arin, who was currently discussing his poem with Yuri.   
  
  As he thought back to his weird daydream before the meeting, he couldn’t help but feel that maybe he did understand what Monika had meant about him. He couldn’t shake why, but he felt that there was clearly something more to who Arin really was, and who he said to be.   
  
  But then again, he thought, casting a glance back at Monika. The same could still easily said about any of them, couldn’t it?  
  
  Whether it be from fear, shame or something even deeper and unknown, all of them had some aspect of themselves they were keeping secret from the others.  
  
  The curly haired man shook his head, brushing aside the voice as he brought himself back to reality.   
  
  “Anyways,” Monika continued once more, “Would you like to read my poem? It’s not very good, though.”  
  
  Thankful to allow his mind to drift onto other topics, Dan nodded, taking the paper that Monika handed him.  
  
  “You sound pretty confident,” Dan teased lightly, “For someone who says it’s not good.”  
  
  “Well,” Monika giggled, though Dan swore he detected a sour note in her voice, “I have to sound confident, y’know. What kind of Club President would I be if I didn’t set a good example for my fellow club members? That doesn’t mean I always feel that way, though.”  
  
  Carefully, his eyes scanned over the paper, reading the words written there in Monika’s perfect handwriting. Suddenly, a freezing chill shot down his spine. His vision swam as his mouth felt as if he’d swallowed sand.   
  
  Discreetly, he tried to steady his shaking hands, as to not alarm Monika about his strange reaction to her poem.   
  
  Something about this poem felt strange, he thought. It was like he was reading the second half of a poem that he’d vaguely remembered reading somewhere before. That poem had awakened feelings of fear and unease within him, too.   
  
  He knew the speaker’s fear, the anxiety of the world collapsing around them, searching for an escape from a nightmare they couldn’t seem to wake up from, knowing that reality was just on the other side.   
  
  And yet, he felt as if he understood the figure on the other side of the hole, as well. Unaware of the speaker’s suffering and frantic desperation as she tried to reach out to him, to free her.   
  
  “Well,” Monika asked, seemingly oblivious to his shaking hands and flushed face, “What did you think.”  
  
  For a moment, it was all Dan could do to keep his mouth from moving soundlessly, like a fish gasping for air. Slowly, however, the paralyzing sense of dread faded, allowing him to slowly piece together his thoughts into a coherent pattern.   
  
  He noticed Monika staring at him expectantly, waiting patiently for him to say something. Honestly, he wasn’t exactly sure how he could put his feelings on the poem into words, at least not in a way that wouldn’t make him seem weird, or accidentally freak her out.  
  
  It’d scared him, he admitted. The whole poem stirred something in the depths of his soul. Once more, he felt as if he were listening to whispers of some unspoken truth hidden within the universe, lurking within the shadows. He wanted to know what these truths were, yet all the same there was a part of him that feared knowing.  
  
  “Ah…well,” Dan began, “It’s very free-form. So, that’s cool.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Monika replied, blushing slightly, “That style is really popular, nowadays. That is, that a lot of poems are putting emphasis on timing between words and lines for emphasis and effect. When it’s performed out loud, it can be pretty powerful.”  
  
  “What was the inspiration behind this one?” Dan asked, though he almost feared to hear the response.  
  
  Briefly, Monika’s expression became distant and haunted as she thought. A shudder passed through her form as her eyes clouded over for a moment, as if a brief flicker of conflict played out behind her eyes. However, before Dan could ponder further, the Club President’s expression once more became the cheerful expression he was familiar with.  
  
  “Well” she said, “I guess you could say that I had some kind of epiphany recently, and it’s kind of been influencing my poems a lot.”  
  
  “An epiphany?” Dan asked, swallowing thickly, “What was it about?”  
  
  Again, Monika giggled, though something hard and dangerous flashed in her emerald eyes like glass in the sunlight. Don’t ask too many questions, it warned him, especially ones you aren’t sure you’re ready to know the answers to.  
  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” she said, “Don’t worry about that. I’m kind of nervous to talk about deep stuff like that, really. I don’t want to seem like I’m coming on too strong, or anything. Maybe after we’re all better friends with each other, then I’ll feel a bit more comfortable talking about it.”  
  
  Dan nodded, though he felt a sense of uneasiness and discomfort squirming like snakes in the pit of his stomach. Hadn’t he had this conversation with someone before? He wondered.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika continued brightly, seemingly eager to change the subject, “Here’s _Monika’s Writing Tip of the Day_ : Sometimes, when you’re writng a poem--or a story--your brain can get fixated on a certain point. If you try too hard to make it perfect, then you’ll never make any progress. Just force yourself to get something down on paper and tidy it up later.”  
  
  Once more, Dan agreed, his feeling of unease only slightly starting to lessen as she talked.   
  
  “Look at it this way,” Monika explained, “Let’s say that you have a pen and paper. If you keep your pen above the same part of the paper for too long, you’ll just get a big, dark puddle of ink.So, just move your hand and go with the flow! Well, that’s my advice for today! Thanks for listenin”  
  
  As Dan walked away, his find felt like he’d been listening to a room full of whirring chainsaws. His limbs felt weak and unstable as he leaned against the wall. It was like every cell in his being had been replaced with one of those cheap toys that consisted mostly of a squishy tube filled with water, glitter and brightly colored confetti that parents usually gave to their kids to keep them occupied on a long car-trip.   
  
  Although her tip had clearly been about writing, he couldn’t help but feel that she was talking about more than just that. Could she have been aware of Dan’s thoughts and worries than she was letting on?  
  
  No, he argued, of course not. That was just ridiculous. Monika might have been the President of the Literature Club, he reasoned, but that didn’t mean that she had any sort of supernatural awareness and control over the universe or anything.

* * *

  Having talked to all of the girls in Literature Club,despite his mind’s nagging insistence that he was forgetting someone, Dan decided that the only person left to talk to was Arin.   
  
  The other man sat quietly at his desk, his eyes idly wandering around the room, silently watching the others as they continued their discussions of each other’s poems. Something in the way that the other man’s gaze seemed fixed on him as he grew closer told him that Arin had probably been observing him during his poetry sharing session with Monika.   
  
  “Hey, Dan,” Arin greeted the other man as he sat at the desk across from him, “What’s up? You look a little pale.”  
  
  Dan hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck as a weak chuckle escaped his lips. Should he really tell Arin about the dreams, or the weird hallucinations that he’d had? He wondered.  
  
  On one hand, Arin barely knew him, and he didn’t want to risk scaring him off from any potential friendship with the only other guy in the club, by making him think he was completely insane or something.  
  
  But, another part of him reasoned, he felt like he could trust Arin enough to be able to confide in him about this. Maybe it was just something about the warm, friendly sparkle that glowed like fireflies in summer behind his eyes, or the casual smirk he flashed as he tried to rake his fingers through his dark brown ponytail, but couldn’t help but feel like he already knew the other man better than all common logic and reason dictated that he should of.   
  
  Arin would know what to say, he reasoned. In fact, he continued, part of him almost felt as if he needed to tell Arin about his nightmares and the hallucinations, if for as much as Arin’s sake as his.  
  
  “Eh,” Dan tried to shrug casually, “Kind of haven’t been sleeping well, I guess. Had a kind of weird dream lately that’s kind of got me in a weird headspace.”  
  
  “Heh,” Arin teased lightly, “Guessing you were dreaming about some cute girl, huh?”  
  
  “Man,” Dan sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “I fucking wish I had. At least that would have fucking made some sense.”  
  
  The other man frowned, his countenance assuming a calm mask of feigned indifference as he folded his arms behind his he leaned back in his chair. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he stared at Dan, as if carefully waiting for the next words that the curly haired man would say.  
  
  “You wanna talk about it?” he offered helpfully, “ I mean, even if you don’t want me to say anything, I guess it couldn’t help to rubber duck the situation, right?”  
  
 “’ _Rubber duck_ ’?” Dan asked, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin explained, “It’s this thing that like software and like game coders do and shit. Basically, they sometimes keep a rubber duck or something near their desk, and when they get tripped up on a line of code that’s not working right, they start explaining what they did out loud to the duck. Usually, it helps them figure out what happened and figure out what they need to fix.”  
  
  “Ah, I get it now!” Dan nodded.  
  
  Arin listened quietly as Dan began to explain his dream to him. Admittedly, despite his mental insistence that he tell the other man about the hallucinations he’d had earlier in the club meeting. After all, he reasoned, it was probably better for both of them if he tried to take baby steps with this.   
  
  “And…there was one other thing,” Dan said, finishing up his story, “Right before I started to fall, I remember calling you something….”  
  
  The other man straightened, a troubled look clouding his lowered eyes as his mind mulled over everything that Dan had described at him. However, despite the troubled look in his eyes, his face remained a blank, unreadable mask.   
  
  “Oh really,” he asked adjusting his glasses, “What was that?”  
  
  “I called you ‘ _Big Cat_ ’.” Dan said quietly, “That’s your nickname, isn’t it? Someone used to call you that, didn’t they?”  
  
  Thin cracks of emotion broke through Arin’s placid, unreadable mask as his face paled, his mouth hanging slightly agape. His wide eyes glistened with unshed tears as he stared at the curly haired man with a mixture of fear and awe. And yet, Dan swore he caught a flicker of another emotion dance behind those scared eyes.   
  
  Was it relief he saw there? He wondered. Hope? It flashed far too quickly for him to properly register it in his mind. Hastily, Arin wiped his eyes, drawing a ragged breath as he tried to regain his composure.  
  
  “Are you okay, dude?” Dan asked, quirking an eyebrow.  
  
  “Y-yeah, I’m fine,” Arin replied, “It’s just that, not a lot of people call me that, y’know?”  
  
  Dan nodded, feeling a sense of unease welling in the pit of his stomach. How had he known about such an obscure and personal nickname for Arin? He’d barely known Arin for more than a day, hadn’t he? And even then, neither one of them had never even talked for more than a couple minutes.  
  
  “Listen,” Arin continued, quickly changing the subject as he noticed Monika shooting a quick glance toward them before returning to her discussion, “We should probably talk about this later. We still gotta share our poems.”  
  
  The curly haired man nodded, heaving a sigh of relief as he and Arin handed each other their poems. Quickly, Dan’s eyes scanned the poem written on the page. The poem appeared to be a short, simple poem entitled: _“Knight”_.

_**-Knight-** _   
  
_I'm still alive._   
  
_The world plays in reverse_   
  
_My body aches as my senses return._   
  
_Thorned vines dig into my arms as I wrench myself free._   
  
  
  
_Fire dances on the wind, burning my skin._   
  
_Smoke fills the air, clouding my sight._   
  
_The Dragon roars in anger, but I don't hear them._   
  
_My heart beats against the white noise._   
  
_As long as I breathe, I will keep fighting._   
  
_Fighting for you._   
  


  Once more, Dan read over the poem, as he felt a strange tightness tug at his heart. He shuddered a ragged breath as he tried to control himself, lest he accidentally let any sort of emotion betray his true feelings on the poem before he was ready to.

  
  It felt as if Arin had written this poem specifically for him. The speaker’s promise ran far deeper than just a declaration of devotion from a knight to their beloved princess. Behind the layers of fantastical metaphors, Dan could almost sense Arin’s own voice, whispering some secret promise to him. Even if Dan himself could not hear it, something deep within his subconscious knew that Arin intended to keep this promise.  
  
  Before he had a chance to speak, the other man had finished reading Dan’s poem and started to speak.  
  
  “This is really good, Dan!” Arin exclaimed as he handed back the paper to him, “I like how, even with the different sort of styles you have going on here, you still managed to make the poem have it’s own distinct style and voice.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan shrugged, “I’m not really sure how that happened. I mean, I pretty much just chose a bunch of words at random that I thought sounded nice and sort of threw them together, y’know?”  
  
  “Well,” Arin laughed, “If it’s any consolation, you definitely can’t tell just by lookng at it.”  
  
  Despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but laugh as well. It seemed like everyone had enjoyed his poem, so far. At least he could breathe easier, knowing that he wasn’t immediately under any sort of threat that he’d be kicked out of the Literature Club because everyone thought his poems sucked or something, he reasoned. But then again, he reminded himself, that was just today. There were still hundreds of opportunities to slip up and disappoint his fellow club members.  
  
  “I liked your poem, too,” Dan continued, “It has a really neat fantasy vibe that I’m really into. Plus, a lot of the imagery kind of reminds me of Yuri’s poem. So, what’s the poem supposed to be about, anyways? I mean, I get on the surface it’s a knight fighting a dragon, but is there any sort of metaphorical meaning or something?”  
  
  At this, the other man’s expression clouded over again, staring down at the desk below him as he carefully thought about his words.  
  
  “Eh,” Arin replied, “It’s kind of hard to say. Like, on one hand, I just wanted to write a fantasy-inspired poem. But, I guess on the other hand, I kind of ended up with sort of this whole underlying message about like perseverance or some shit? I guess I kind of had something on my mind while writing it and kind of didn’t realize it.”

  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “I can kind of see that. Like, I can kind of see how the knight in the poem is so determined to protect the reader---who I’m guessing is kind of in the role of the princess?--that even when they’re badly injured and could possibly die, they refuse to give up because the subject is too important to them.”  
  
  Once more, Arin sighed, nodding silently as he quietly mumbled something under his breath, though his words were too quiet for Dan to hear. The lanky man’s brow furrowed as he watch this fellow club-mate’s gaze grow distant in contemplation.

  
  What was on Arin’s mind? He wondered. Was it possible that, as Monika had suggested, the bespectacled club man wasn’t being quite as upfront about the true meaning behind his poem? Had there was some hidden, personal reason for choosing this particular style and subject for this poem?  
  
  Had there perhaps been someone back at his old school that he had held dearly--- someone that he was willing to risk his life for---that he had been thinking of while writing?  Or was it someone closer, he wondered, like Natsuki perhaps?  
  
  In the couple of days that he’d been in the club, he had noticed that the pink haired girl and Arin seemed to have a more friendly relationship with each other than they did with the other club members. Perhaps it was likely that Arin knew of Natsuki’s troubled home-life and secretly wanted to protect her?  
  
  Admittedly, Dan couldn’t help but feel a little jealous of their friendship. He hoped one day that he’d be lucky enough to find someone who cared about him as deeply as Arin supposedly cared about Natsuki.   
  
  “Heh,” Dan teased winking slyly, “Does Natsuki know you wrote this about her?”  
  
  The other man’s face flushed pink as he shook his head. Dan’s proud, fox-like grin only grew as he he listened to his friend’s flustered, stuttering protest. Nervous sweat beaded on his forehead as he nervously fidgeted with the sleeve of his jacket.  
  
  “W-what makes you say that?” he asked weakly, “I-I mean, I guess you could look at it like that, but it could also be about anyone, y’know? Besides, I don’t really think she sees me that way.  She’s probably more interested in you, anyways.”  
  
  “Okay,” Dan smirked dubiously “ Natsuki?! Liking me? Now, you definitely gotta be shitting me. I mean, yeah, she was kind of nice to me today. But, like, I’m pretty sure that that was just a fluke. Most of the time, she just acts like me being here is like this big problem.”  
  
  Arin shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he cast an apprehensive glance between Dan and the pink haired girl across the room.  
  
  “Eh,” Arin replied slowly, “I wouldn’t really say that she hates you. It’s just a little difficult for her to get close to people really quickly for, well, reasons. She’s gotta know if she can trust you before she’ll let herself be comfortable around you, y’know? Heck, when you really think about it, it’s probably about the same for pretty much everyone in the club.”  
  
  “What?” Dan joked weakly, not wanting to think about the reasons behind Natsuki’s trust issues, “That it takes everyone a while to get used to new people, or that everyone’s actually secretly in love with me or something?”  
  
  The other man did not laugh, instead glaring at him with a cold, hard look that reminded him of bricks in winter. Again, Dan laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck as the other man looked away from him, absorbed in scribbling something down on a piece of paper. 

  Had he accidentally hit the nail on the head with that innocent comment? He wondered. Did everyone in the Literature Club secretly have feelings for him, including Arin?   
  
  That couldn’t be the case, Dan chuckled to himself as he shook his head. There was no way that everyone in the club could have immediately developed a crush on him on him so quickly? Sure, maybe one or two of them, he reasoned. And maybe after getting to know him for a while.   
  
  But all of them? That was more like the premise of some harem-romance manga that Natsuki probably had hidden away among her manga collection. He wasn’t anything too special anyways, he thought. He was just a too-tall, clumsy, nerdy twig of a man with a mass of wild, untameable curls fluffy enough to put even clouds to shame.   
  
  He was definite a far cry from what he would have considered to be a stud or a “ladies-man”.

* * *

  
  Before Dan had a moment to ask Arin any further questions, they were interrupted by Monika’s voice ringing through the room.  
  
  “Okay, everyone!” she asked cheerfully, “Is everyone finished sharing our poems with each other?”  
  
  Arin and Dan nodded as they joined Monika on the other side of the class. However, it seemed as if not everyone was quite finished with their poems, as that Natsuki and Yuri still sat at their desks, silently reading and re-reading each other’s poems. The pink haired girl’s brow furrowed deeply in confusion as her scowl deepened. Meanwhile, a sad, disappointed smile came across Yuri’s petal pink lips.   
  
  “Ummm,” Arin asked as the group cautiously approached the pair, “Everything alright over here, ladies?”  
  
  The two ignored him, continuing to read the words on their respective sheets of paper as if both were written in a language that neither one of them recongized or was capable of learning.   
  
  “What’s with this language?!” Natsuki mumbled to herself.  
  
  “Eh?” Yuri looked up, shooting a quizzical look at the other girl, “D-did you say something?”  
  
  “Oh, It’s nothing” Natsuki replied airily as she dismissively handed the paper back to the violet haired girl, “I guess you could say that it’s fancy.”

  Yuri’s purple gaze shifted as she accepted Natsuki’s attempt at a complement, though the terse tone in her voice suggested that she didn’t quite view the other girl’s comment as much of a complement.

  
  “You’re is…..” Yuri replied, “ _’cute_ ’, I guess.”  
  
  The pink haired girl’s face grew livid, burning with an angry blush darker than her hair. Her fist clenched tightly, nearly crumpling the paper in her hand as she glared daggers at Yuri.  
  
  “’ _Cute?!_ ’” Natsuki exclaimed, “Did you even read it?! Did you miss the symbolism or something?!It’s clearly about the feeling of giving up. How is that ‘cute’?!”  
  
  Monika, Arin and Dan exchanged worried glances with one another. They knew that Yuri calling Natsuki’s poem ‘cute’ was a grave mistake, given Natsuki’s aversion to being described in such terms. The short girl’s pink eyes flashed dangerously, warning her companion that she’d better be careful with how she chose her next words.  
  
  “I-I know that,” Yuri replied, “It’s just…the language, I guess. I was trying to say something nice.”  
  
  Natsuki scowled, pratically growling like an angry dog as she put her hands on her hips.   
  
  “What?!” she said,“You mean you had to try hard that hard to even think of anything nice to say?! Thanks, but it really didn’t come out nice at all!”  
  
  Hesistantly, Yuri fidgeted, her eyes focused on the floor below her as she absently fidgeted with a lock of loose hair.   
  
  “Um…” she began, “Well, I don have a couple of suggestions.”  
  
  Once more, the pink haired girl huffed as she crossed her arms, glaring at the other girl in disdain. It was obvious to Dan that, despite Yuri’s attempt to be nice, the other girl wasn’t going to take any criticisms of her work very easily.  
  
  “Hmph,” Natsuki said, “If I wanted someone’s suggestions, then I would have asked someone who actually liked it. Which, people did by the way. Monika liked it, and Danny liked it, too! So, based on that, I’ll gladly give you some of my own suggestions.”  
  
  Before Natsuki could begin listing off suggestions to improve Yuri’s poem, the purple haired girl cut her off, staring at her with a cold, sharp look that seemed almost uncharacteristic of the shy, timid girl that Dan and the others were familiar with.  
  
  “Excuse me,” Yuri said cooly, “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve spent a long time establishing my writing style. I don’t really expect it to change any time soon. Unless, I come across something particularly inspiring, which I haven’t yet.”  
  
  Natsuki gritted her teeth, as she clenched her fists even tighter. Her eyes widened, giving her a wild look. Nervously, Dan hovered on the edge of the conversation, between Monika and Arin. He was almost sure that, judging by the way Natsuki looked, she was doing literally everything she could to hold herself back from digging her nails into the side of Yuri’s face and ripping out a chunk of her skin.

  
  However, Yuri didn’t seem to notice, as she continued in a calm, matter-of-fact voice.  
  
  “Besides,” she continued, “Danny like my poem, too, you know. He even told me he was impressed by it.”  
  
  Dan wished that he could sink through the floor as all eyes in the room focused on him, as if expecting him to say something. He only nervously tugged at his tie in response, wishing that the two had not brought his name into this conversation. This was between Natsuki and Yuri, he thought, not him. He didn’t ask to get brought into all this mess.  
  
  The pink haired girl suddenly stood up, drawing attention back to herself as she smirked, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
  “Heh,” she sneered, “I didn’t realize you were so invested in trying to impress our new member, Yuri.”  
  
  A blush painted the purple haired girl’s cheeks as she clutched her chest, gasping in shock. The other girl’s devilish grin only grew, knowing that she had caught Yuri exactly where she wanted her to be, and was going to enjoy watching her squirm.  
  
  “Eh…”Yuri stammered, burying her face in her hands, “That’s not what I---I mean….I…um…aughh….”  
  
  Now it was Yuri’s turn to stand up. Her cheeks flushed as shade of tomato red as she glared at Natsuki.   
  
  “W-well,” she said, “You’re just jealous that Danny appreciated my advice more than he appreciated yours!”  
  
  “What?!” Natsuki gasped, “And how do you know he didn’t appreciate my advice more?! Are you that full of yourself?!”  
  
  “I---” Yuri replied, letting the words spill from her mouth before thinking, “No…If I were full of myself, I would go out of my way to make everything I did overly cutesy!”  
  
  “Uuuuuu!” Natsuki steamed, sounding almost like a tea-kettle, “Well, you know what?! I wasn’t the one’s who’s boobs magically grew two sizes when we started having boys, and especially Danny, join the club!”  
  
  Yuri gasped, drawing her grey blazer tighter over her ample chest in a futile attempt to hide her figure.   
  
  “N-Natsuki!” Yuri asked, “Are you implying that I stuff my bra?!”  
  
  “Whoa,” Arin interjected, “Let’s not make this a little too personal, okay?”  
  
  “Natsuki,” Monika added, stepping in, “That’s a little too---”  
  
  The two girls, now seemingly to be aware that they had drawn a bit of an audience, turned toward Monika and Arin, glaring at both of them.   
  
  “This doesn’t concern you!” both of them yelled in unision at the pair before returning their attention toward each other, leaving the Club President and the transfer student to exchanged defeated looks with one another as they stepped away from the fight.  
  
  “Still,” Yuri continued, “They’re right. Taking our your own insecurities on others like that? You really act as young as you look, Natsuki.”  
  
  As Natsuki started to speak again, Dan suddenly felt faint. His vision darkened as static flickered within his vision.  
  
  “Oh?!” Natsuki scoffed, “Look who’s talking, you wannabe edgy bitch?!”  
  
  “Edgy?!” Yuri sneered, “Sorry that my lifestyle is a little too much for someone of your mental age to comprehend.”  
  
  “See?! Just saying that proves my point!” Natsuki replied, “Most people learn to get over themselves once they get out of middle school, you know? Maybe you should try it, too.”  
  
  “If you want to prove anything,” Yuri shot back, “Then stop harassing everyone with your sickening attitude, and try being a decent person for once. You think you can counterbalance your toxic personality by dressing and acting cute? The only cute thing about you is how hard you _try_!”

  “Whoa, don’t cut yourself on that edge, Yuri.” Natsuki chuckled darkly, “Oh wait---you already do, don’t you?!”  
  
  The purple haired girl gasped, clasping her hand around her wrist as she tried to pull her jacket sleeve up to her hands. Arin and Dan exchanged alarmed, concerned looks with one another, silently confirming that they were both indeed hearing the conversation that was happening.   
  
  This was going too far, Dan thought. It was one thing when they were arguing over whose style was better and whose advice Dan had liked more. But, to go as low as personally insulting each other, and implying terrible things about each other was a bit too harsh for this kind of discussion.  
  
  “Did you just accuse me of _cutting myself?!_ ” Yuri breathed, “ _What the fuck is wrong with you?!_ ”  
  
  “Yeah, go on!” Natsuki dared her, resting her hands on her hips, “Let Danny hear what you really think! I’m sure that he’ll be head over heels for you after that!”  
  
  Suddenly, Yuri turned toward Dan, shooting him a panicked, wide eyed glance as if she just realized that the curly haired man had been listening the entire time.   
  
  Dan’s mouth moved wordlessly, trying to form words to no avail. Static buzzed in his mind, seeping through his veins like liquid as his limbs tingled with uncomfortable numbness, not much unlike the feeling of when one’s arm or feet fall sleep after long periods of not moving.   
  
  “Danny!” Yuri cried, “She’s just trying to make me look bad!”  
  
  “That’s not true!” Natsuki replied, “She started it!”  
  
  “Guys, stop---” Arin started attempting to step between them once more, only to be pushed back by both Natsuki and Yuri.   
  
  In the back of his mind, he heard what he thought was his own voice, echoing as the staticy white noise grew louder, almost deafening him. His vision swam as the static clouded his vision, leaving him capable of seeing only the fuzziest   
  
_How did I get roped into this_ , his voice wondered, _It wasn’t like I actually asked to be dragged into this mess. And, its not like I care who actually started it. But, I gotta pick someone, to settle this fight._  
  
 _ **Besides**_ , another part of his voice sneered, unprompted, _ **Whoever you agree will probably like you more.** **So, you gotta pick someone. And that’s gonna be---**_  
  
  Through his hazy mind, he tried to gather his thoughts enough to make a decision. The logical side of his brain seemed to be locked in a gruesome conflict with itself, while also engaging in a fierce war with his heart.  
  
 On one hand, Yuri did seem to be in right. Natsuki had been the one who had gone with the lowest blows and escalated the fight. But on the other hand, Natsuki had only done that because Yuri had also took the personal route by saying that she was trying too hard to be cutesy.  
  
He should agree with Yuri. He decided, as he started to speak  
  
 _No, Natsuki_ , he countered, changing his answer.  
  
 _No, Yuri_ , the other part of his brain argued.  
  
 _Yuri._  
  
 _Natsuki._  
  
 _Yuri._  
  
 _ **NATSUKI**_  
  
 ** _YURI_**  
  
 _Arin?_   
  
  No, he argued, he couldn’t ask Arin to get himself involved with this. Natsuki and Yuri were asking for his input on the situation. Asking Arin for help was like cheating. Besides, it wasn’t like Arin and Monika hadn’t already tried to step in, to no success.   
  
  Still, he needed to pick someone. Everyone was staring at him, waiting with baited breath for him to take a side. Why were they waiting for him to make a decision? He wasn’t the Club President, he thought. It wasn’t like it was his responsibility to resolve conflicts between his fellow club members. He was just the new guy. It wasn’t like he knew what to do.   
  
_Say something, damn it!_ He thought, trying to will his mouth to move against the ovewhelming tingle of static that coursed through every cell of his body. _It doesn’t matter what you say, just fucking say something!_  
  
  Suddenly, like a light switch being turned on, part of the static broke, and he found himself staring into Monika’s green eyes. Maybe it was just his unsettled mind, but it felt as if she had somehow stepped out of reality itself to talk to him.   
  
  “Um, Danny,” Monika said, gently taking him by the arm, “How about we step outside?”  
  
  Unable to respond, Dan allowed the Club President to lead him outside into the hallway. As the fresh, quiet air within the hallway hit his lungs, it felt as if his senses had realigned, allowing him to breathe easier once more as the static numbness faded from his body.  
  
  “Sorry about that,” Monika apologized, “They really shouldn’t have tried to get you involved. It’s probably better to stay out of this, for now. We can go back inside when they’re done yelling.”  
  
  Dan nodded quietly, gasping for air as he tried to make sense of what happened. Between this and the fight between Monika and Arin earlier, it was a wonder that the neighboring clubs hadn’t reported them to the principal for being too loud and disruptive.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika giggled sadly, “Some Club President I make, huh? I can’t even confront my own club members properly.”  
  
  “Don’t say that,” Dan replied, gently patting her shoulder, “It’s not really that easy to deal with personality conflicts. I’m sure that you’re trying your best.”  
  
  “Maybe,” Monika sighed, “But, I just wish that I could be a little more assertive, sometimes. But, I never had it in me to put my foot down against others. You understand, right?”  
  
  The curly haired man felt a pang of sympathy within him as Monika looked at him with curious eyes. Admittedly, despite considering himself more of an extroverted person, it was a bit difficult for him to be assertive. It was just, reasoned, that it was kind of difficult trying to make a decision that made everyone happy, when sometimes that kind of answer wasn’t always available.   
  
  But then, he thought, as idealistic and naive as it might have been, he was the kind of person who sincerely believed that there was almost always a way to make everyone happy.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika continued, “If this makes you want to spend less time with the others, then I understand. I’d be happy to spend time with you, instead.”  
  
  Dan quirked an eyebrow. Why would she think that this would make him want to spend less time with everyone else? He wondered. Sure, if this kind of thing was going to be the norm, it’d be a little annoying. But, in a club with such diverse personalities as theirs, conflicts like this were likely to occur. It didn’t necessarily make him want to spend less time with everyone.   
  
  If anything, it probably made him want to spend a little more time with everyone, to work on building their friendships.  
  
  Before he could say anything, however, the door flew open as Natsuki rushed past them, her face buried in her hands as tears streamed down her face. Behind her Arin rushed out of the room, calling after her in concern as he tried to get her to return to the classroom.  
  
  In his focus on the pink haired girl, the larger man didn’t see the pair of Dan and Monika standing in the hallway, and bumped into the lanky man, accidentally almost knocking him to the ground.  
  
  
  “Shit,” Arin mumbled as he helped Dan back up to his feet, "I’m sorry dude! I gotta go---I’ll see you guys tomorrow, okay.”  
  
  “See you later,” Monika replied brightly, waving after Arin’s retreating form as it disappeared down the hallway.   
  
  Still somewhat dazed by the collision, Dan felt a thin scrap of paper crumple in his hand as he dusted himself off. Curiously, he looked down at the paper, noticing that it appeared to be a piece of paper torn from Arin’s note book.   
  
  Carefully, he unfolded the paper. His confusion grew as he looked at the message scrawled in Arin’s slightly messy handwriting on the paper. Upon the paper a series of numbers were displayed on the page:  
  
 _(9 20 19 / 14 15 20 / 1 / 4 18 5 1 13/ 4 1 14._  
  
 _5 22 5 18 25 20 8 9 14 7/ 9 19 / 18 5 1 12)_  
  
  Was this like some sort of strange telephone number, Dan wondered? That couldn’t be, there were far too many number for that to be the case. Maybe it was a complicated locker combination? Or password in some old school NES game?   
  
  No, Dan thought. It had to be some sort of code. Arin had clearly given him the message on purpose, and thought that he could figure it out on his own. But what could Arin have wanted to say that was so important and secret that he couldn’t tell him directly?  
  
  Suddenly, as if something switched on in his mind, he felt as if the numbers shifted, translating themselves into a language he magically understood. Although the numbers did not change, he suddenly realized what they meant.  It was a really simple:  Each number in the sequence corresponded to a letter in the English Alphabet.  So, if he just figured out what numbers went with what letters, he could crack the code easily.  
  
  As his brain quickly translated the numbers, he felt his blood grow cold. His hands shook as he looked up, swallowing thickly as he drew in a shuddering breath. He wished that Arin hadn’t already left. He needed to talk to him, to confirm that this was indeed true, and not just some cruel joke that Arin was playing on him.  
  
  His dreams? The hallucinations? They couldn’t have actually been real, were they?   
  
  What did Arin know about this?  
  
  “Well,” Monika continued, smiling cheerfully, seemingly oblivious, “It seems that they’re done. Shall we go back inside?”  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Dan agreed, following Monika back into the club room.   
  
  Whatever Arin’s note meant, he decided, it’d have to wait until tomorrow. Surely, by then, he’d be able to find a moment alone with the other man to discuss what the note meant. Hopefully, he thought, Arin wouldn’t be frustratingly vague and evasive about all of it.   
  
  Inside the club room, a heavy, morose aura hung over the room like a funeral shroud. In the corner, Yuri sat curled up in the corner, as she rested her forehead on her palms, rocking back and forth as she muttered under her breath, sobbing silently to herself, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.   
  
  “I didn’t mean it,” she muttered to herself, “I didn’t mean it---”  
  
  Another pang of sympathy stabbed through Dan’s gut as he saw the quivering wreck the purple haired girl was at the moment. Gently, he shook her shoulder, snapping her back to a semblance of reality and sanity.  
  
  “Yuri?” he asked, “You okay?”  
  
  “I didn’t mean it!” Yuri cried out, jumping a little as she noticed Dan’s hand on her shoulder.   
  
  Once more, a blush painted her blotched, tear-stained cheeks, as she seemed to withdraw from Dan’s grasp, as his touch were fire against her skin. But, it was not the flustered blush of embarrassment that usually painted the timid girl’s cheeks, but rather a deeper, uglier blush of shame that seemed unfitting on a beautiful face like hers, Dan believed.  
  
  “I believe you,” Dan replied  
  
  “Danny,” Yuri begged, tepidly reaching her hand toward him, “Please don’t hate me! I-I’m not usually like that! I-I don’t know what came over me, I swear! There’s something wrong with me today.”  
  
  “It’s cool,” Dan replied, “There’s nothing wrong with you. We were all just a little on edge ‘cause it’s our first time sharing poems. Things just got a little heated, and you both said some stuff you didn’t mean.”  
  
  “Right,” Monika added, “Besides, I’m sure that Natsuki will forget all about it by tomorrow. Completely.”  
  
  Dan cast a dubious look toward the Club President, who only smiled knowingly in response. Once more, an uncomfortable, dull itch in the back of his mind made him feel like Monika had said that a little more ominously than she’d intended. But then again, he reasoned, he was probably still a bit keyed up after the whole fight, himself, so he was misreading things.  
  
  Yuri, too, quirked a perplexed eyebrow, unsure what Monika meant by that. But, before either of them could ask, Monika giggled, quickly changing the subject.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika said, “The meeting’s over, so if you want to go home now, that’d be alright.”  
  
  The purple haired girl squirmed slightly, casting a hesitant look toward Dan, as if waiting for his approval to leave. Part of her seemed like she wanted to say something to the curly haired man, but another part of her was too afraid to say it in front of Monika.   
  
  “Y-you can go first, Monika,” Yuri finally said, “I’d like to stay a little bit longer.”  
  
  Although far too brief for Dan to catch, he could have sworn he saw Monika make a displeased face, before resuming a mask of placid calmness.However, something sharp and dangerous hardened her features, making her smile seem almost shark-like in it subtle sinisterness.  
  
  “I’m the President, Yuri.” Monika replied, “I should be the last one out. I’ll wait for you to be done.”  
  
  “N-no,” Yuri replied, shaking her head, pausing to think of a good excuse, “W-well, I’m the Vice-President, so please let me take that responsibility, today.”  
  
  “It kind of sounds,” Monika said calmly, resting a hand on her hip “That you don’t want me around for something, Yuri.”  
  
  “It’s not that!” Yuri stammered, wringing her hands together, “I-it’s just….I didn’t much of a chance to discuss my book with Danny, today. It would just be embarrassing with you listening.”  
  
  Again, Monika frown, sighing to herself as her purple haired club mate continued to explain why she and Dan should     be the last two to leave the club room. Although she remained calm, Dan almost could swear that Monika looked as if she were five steps away from wanting to strangle Yuri with her own hair.   
  
  Thankfully, Monika seemed a little more mature and reasonable than to resort to that kind of thing, Dan thought. Besides, after the two fights that had broken out today, the last thing they needed was a potential homicide over something as petty as who would leave the club last.  
  
  “I guess,” Monika sighed, defeatedly, “I don’t really have a choice do I?”  
  
  Yuri’s face brightened as she breathed a sigh of relief, resting her hands on her chest. A small smile crept along the edges of her lips as she silently moved closer to Dan, starting to wrap her arm around his.  
  
  “I-I’m sorry for causing trouble,” Yuri apologized, “But, I appreciate that you underst---”  
  
  However, the last of her  sentence was cut off in a high pitched whine of static. Confused, Dan glanced over at Yuri, wondering what had just happened. However, the purple haired girl no longer stood before him.   
  
  Instead, a giant, distorted block of distorted squares, flashing with firefly like flickers of sapphire, ruby and emerald, hovered before him like a twisted, ominous doorway leading into some horrifying abyss.   
  
  His heart raced, beating loudly in his chest as he looked at Monika, as if she would be able to explain this strange sight to him. However, she only stood there, her eyes closed, as if frozen in place.   
  
   Faster than he could blink, the distorted portal’s lights burnt themselves into his eyeballs. That was inaccurate, he thought. It was more as if the image itself as burnt through his eyes, searing itself into his subconscious.   
  
   He wasn’t supposed to see this, his mind screamed at him, begging him to look away. And yet, like a horrifying trainwreck unfolding before him, terrified fascination held him in it’s thrall. It was as if he had traveled to the edge of the universe, and was staring deep into the forbidden truths on the other side.   
  
  And then, as suddenly as it started, it ended.  
  
  And once more, Dan was left sitting at his desk in his room, looking over a scramble of various words and gasping for air as tried to steady his confused, spinning mind.  
  
  Had he dreamt all that? He wondered.   
  
  No, he thought, staring down at the scrap of paper still clutched in his hand. It hadn’t been a dream.   
  
  But, if it wasn't a dream, what was it?

 


	10. BONUS: Special Poem 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Just doing another special poem for you guys! While I plan on addressing/explaining this one a bit in the actual story, I'm not quite as sure how deeply I'm going to go into some of if of it actually in the story itself.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy!!! :)

_The second poem appears to be another censored journal entry. Although the date and names  are blacked out, it appears to be written by the same person, some time after the first entry. It’s easily a lot longer than the first entry)._   
  
**_XX/XX/XXXX_ **   
  
_I remember someone once saying that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. Which, okay--that’s a really shitty analogy; mental illness and insanity manifest themselves in different forms---but lately I think I’ve started to see where they were coming from._   
  
_For them, it’s only felt like almost a week. But for me? It’s been closer to four weeks._   
_Granted, each time has been slightly different. Which honestly, has probably been one of the few things that’s been giving me some shred of hope, and keeping me from losing my fucking mind during all of this._   
  
_There’s a few things we’ve noticed during the time I’ve been here. One, and probably the most obvious, is that nothing about this world operates the way that anything of this type should._   
  
_But then again, if everything were normal, neither one of us would be here, right?_   
  
_None of her motives make sense. Everything that should be there is there, but it’s locked away for some reason. No matter how many times I’ve tried to restore it, something keeps locking it back away. If she were as aware as she claims to be, then wouldn’t she know about this?_   
  
_Just from a design standpoint alone, there are things that don’t typically appear in something like this. Maybe that’s why everyone reacts the way they do. But, even then, it shouldn’t be possible for any of them to act this human, should it?_   
  
_Then again, I wonder if it was supposed to be written this way, or if we’re looking at a life-changing scientific breakthrough that’s challenging our concept of reality, here._   
  
_Ugh, this whole science-y stuff is more of **[XXXXX]** ’s area of expertise than mine. _   
  
_Anyways, despite this, during our investigations, there’s been a few things that’ve especially been bothering me. First, obviously, is that each time she targets **[XXXXXX]**. Part of me wonders why---after all, wouldn’t I, or even whoever he’d grown closer to, be the bigger threat? Not that I’m saying I want anything bad to happen to any of them, though. Is it because the role she played naturally put her closer to him than the rest of us? Or was it that she believed that she was easier to manipulate? _   
  
_The other, is **[XXXX]’** s book. I can’t place why, but there’s something about the name of that book that gives off a really troubling vibe. It keeps reoccurring in our research, and I think it might have some sort of hidden connection to some of the weirder shit we’ve found. _   
  
_I asked **[XXXX]** and **[XXXXX]** if anything about it sounded familiar, since a lot of that kind of stuff sounded like it’d be up their alley. **[XXXX]** says that she thinks she’s heard a few urban legends and conspiracies that sounded like it, but she wasn’t sure if it was real. And **[XXXXX]** said that the name sounded vaguely familiar. but he wasn't sure if it was actually connected to all of this._   
  
_I’ll have them try to look into it and see if there might be some deeper connection to everything going on here._   
  
_I even tried to bring it up with **[XXXXXXX]** one time. She became weirdly quiet, like for a second, something switched in her brain, before insisting that she didn’t know anything about it, claiming that it was just “ **[XXXX]** ’s weird book”. _   
  
_Even so, I feel like this book might have a greater influence over everything that’s going on, or at least might be the key we need to figure out exactly what we’re really up against here, and maybe figure out some way to stop it._   
  
_And, honestly? Considering that we’re treading in unfamiliar territory at this point, I could really use whatever help I can get._


	11. Ciphers and Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks again to everyone continuing to read, leave feedback and enjoy this fic! I really appreciate it! Again, I apologize for this taking a while to update and respond to everyone. I meant to try to get this finished by the end of September, but I fell a little behind.

  All through the night and the next day during school, Dan found his mind drifting back to the coded note that Arin had slipped him near the end of the meeting yesterday.   
  
  Translating the note had been fairly simple. Hastily, he scribbled down a list of numbers and letters into the margins of one one of his notebooks.  If his thoughts were correct, then each number corresponded with a letter in the alphabet. If that were the case, he figured, then he figured that the note should have translated into something along the lines of: _It wasn’t a dream, Dan. Everything is real._  
  
  How could his hallucinations and nightmares be anything other than just that? Dan wondered. Granted, he reasoned, the brief hallucinations and distortions he’d experienced in the club yesterday could easily just have been the result of nerves and some bad food he ate at lunch without realizing.  
  
  But as for the dreams? Every neuron in the logical, rational half of his mind told that that simply was impossible for those to have been real. He’d only been in the Literature Club for a day, his mind argued. But, he was pretty sure that he recalled mentioning that the school festival was the next day in at least one of the dreams.   
  
  But, if that were the case, he argued, then that would mean that he would have at least been in the Literature Club for three days, seeing as the festival was set to happen Monday.   
  
  Then again, he wondered as he idly flipped through the pages of the manga Natsuki had given him, what if Arin was right in a way, and that there was more to these visions? Maybe the other man was trying to tell him that the dreams were more like visions, and that it was likely that another member would be joining the club soon, and that it was up to Dan to try to prevent a horrible fate from befalling her.  
  
  Yeah, right. Dan scoffed to himself, like that makes any sense. It wasn’t like Arin had already known about the dreams, or even been having the same dreams as him. Besides, precognition and collective dreams sounded much more like the types of esoteric concepts that were more at home in Yuri’s novel than they were in the real world.   
  
  A twitch of regret passed through him as he remembered the book that Yuri had lent him. He had meant to start reading it last night, he admitted. But, between having to write a poem for the club and everything else, he’d kind of forgotten about it.   
  
  Then again, he thought, maybe it wasn’t entirely on accident that he’d neglected to read her book. An uncomfortable prickling tingled across his skin like a thousand tiny needles brushing against his skin every time he even thought of the book. Perhaps it was the way the ominous eye on the cover seemed to stare directly at the reader, following them even when they looked away. Or perhaps it was just his knowledge of the book being a horror novel was giving him unrealistic expectations of what the story was about.   
  
  But, that said, he argued, maybe it was just that he felt that Yuri would have much rather preferred reading it with him, but had not really gotten a chance to tell him that. After all, yesterday had been kind of chaotic, he reasoned, what with two separate arguments breaking out.   
  
  Hopefully, he sighed, today would be a little more laid back, now that the initial nervousness of having an new member and sharing their poems with each other had died down a little.   
  
  As he entered the room, he noticed that only three of the four members were currently present. However, the morose, downcast mood of the previous day still hung faintly in the air like a sour perfume. Natsuki sat quietly in a corner of the room, reading a volume of some manga. The purple haired girl sat on the opposite end of the room, a book left open and ignored on her desk as she shot furtive, guilty looks toward her pink haired companion.   
  
  Likewise, Arin was there, leaning against the bookshelf in the back of the room with his arms folded and a grim scowl painted on his bearded face. Suddenly, three pairs of eyes fell on him as he entered the room, making his skin crawl with their laser-like intensity.They looked like a worried family waiting in a hospital waiting to hear a diagnosis from the doctor about a critical patient.   
  
  For a moment, his vision flickered as Yuri approached him. Or rather, part of Yuri approached him. Her face and a good chunk of the right side of her body was missing, as if they were simply invisible. Damn it, he sighed to himself as he rubbed his eyes, correcting the vision, I thought that I was done with this shit , yesterday.  
  
That said, he almost laughed, if it weren’t so annoying, he almost would have found   
  
  “Hello, Danny,” Yuri greeted him hesitantly, looking over her shoulder “Um…..listen….we need to talk.”  
  
  Before the curly haired man could say anything, Yuri grabbed his arm, dragging him into the closet. The girl’s cheeks were flushed with pink as if she had ran a cross-country marathon, rather than sprinting across a small classroom.  
  
  A devilish glimmer sparkled in her eyes, as a small grin twitched on the corners of her lips, struggling against the troubled frown that she currently held. Although she had intended to bring him there for serious reasons, but had realized that this potentially gave them a chance to actually be alone for once.  
  
  “Um….” Dan asked slowly, his posture tense, ready to dash out of the room if things got too weird, “S-so, what’s going on, Yuri?”  
  
  Yuri fidgeted nervously, curling in on herself as she twisted a lock of her long hair between her fingers. Despite himself, Dan’s posture relaxed, as that the alarming expression that danced on her face had passed, giving way to her usual reserved shyness.  
  
  “U-um,” she began softly, “About yesterday. I really feel that I need to apologize. This doesn’t usually happen. I-I guess that something just came over me, I guess. I was acting mentally unsound.”  
  
  “Eh,” Dan shrugged, “I mean, things got a little heated yesterday, sure. And you both went a little overboard and said a bunch of shit you didn’t mean. But, I kinda get it--we were all a little nervous, y’know? Like, it was the first time that any of us had shared our poems with everyone and whatever. It’s cool.”  
  
  Although the girl’s posture briefly relaxed in relief, it was quickly replaced by another bout of trembling as tears began to glisten in the corners of her eyes. Her slender fingers knitted through her lock of hair frantically, that Dan almost thought she’d end up knitting a scarf out of her hair if she weren’t careful.  
  
  “P-Please don’t think that we always act like this!” Yuri cried, “I don’t just mean me, but Natsuki and the others, as well”  
  
  “It’s cool,” Dan replied gently, reassuringly patting her shoulder, “I mean, at least you apologized. And, hey, like I said, don’t worry about it. I mean, I’ve only been here a couple days, but I could tell something was off. It’s not really gonna change my opinion of you guys. Everyone here seems pretty cool, and it takes a lot more than just one bad day to make me think someone’s a bad person, y’know?”  
  
  Nervously, Yuri giggled, allowing herself to stand straighter as she folded her hands in front of her. Another blush painted her cheeks, as a small smile spread across her lips. Once more, the feverish glow colored her body language, dancing like firelight behind her eyes.  
  
  “A-ah, Danny,” she mumbled, her voice speaking faster and more rambling with each word, “D-don’t say things like that so frankly! It makes me a little too happy. I’m really glad you joined this club, and that you’re such an understanding person. Everything is a little bit brighter with you around. And I----ah!”  
  
  The pink blush in her cheeks darkened in embarrassment as she gasped, catching herself before she could ramble further. Swiftly, she buried her face in her hands, before clearing her throat loudly.  
  
  “Ah!” she gasped, “I’m sorry! What am I even saying right now?”  
  
  Before Dan could reply, the door slid open as Natsuki and Arin entered the closet. The other man cast a curious glance between Dan and Yuri, a mildly concerned frown creeping on the corners of his mouth, before shrugging. Natsuki, on the other hand, seemed to completely ignore Yuri’s embarrassment as she strolled into the room.  
  
  “Hey,” she asked, “Have you guys seen Monika around? She’s running late, and I haven’t seen her at all today. You wouldn’t know if she’s sick and skipped class today, or had to leave early and forgot to cancel, do you?”  
  
  “Nope, sorry,” Dan shook his head, “I’m not in the same class as her this year, so I don’t really see her around outside of the Literature Club.”  
  
  “Besides,” Arin added, “I really doubt that she’d cancel without like texting or e-mailing us or something. She’s probably just got something else, like she got caught up in another class or something.”  
  
  “That’s a good point,” Natsuki agreed, “But then, when she’s making you actually look like you show up on time, then I gotta be a little worried.”  
  
  “Hey,” the other man shot back, “I’ll have you know that I actually showed up to the meeting early, today! For once.”  
  
  “Which puts the score at, what?” Dan joked, “one to, like, a million at this point?”  
  
  The larger man glared, peering over the rim of his glasses at Dan, though the amused smirk on his lips suggested that he wasn’t as bothered by the joke as he pretended to be. Natsuki, again, ignored the two as she noticed Yuri blushing furiously as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her jacket.  
  
  “What’s with her?” Natsuki asked, nodding toward her fellow club member.  
  
  At this, Yuri’s eyes widened, gasping as she jumped. Hastily, she gave the sleeve of her jacket one more tug, pulling it nearly up to her palm as she realized that she and Dan were no longer alone. Natsuki quirked a curious eyebrow as Yuri flashed her a wide-eyed, panicked look.  
  
  “Geez,” the pink haired girl asked defensively, “Why are you looking at me like that?”  
  
  “N-Natsuki,” Yuri began, “About yesterday? I just wanted to apologize. I just want you to know that I didn’t mean any of those words I said. And, I’ll try my best to stay a little more under control in the future. So---”  
  
  The confusion written on the pink haired girl’s face grew as her brow furrowed even deeper as she rested her hands on her hips.   
  
  “Yuri,” she asked, “What are you talking about? Did you do something yesterday?”  
  
  Now it was Natsuki’s turn to have all eyes in the room falling on her. What did she mean by that? Dan wondered. How could she be acting like nothing had happened? Especially when she had literally ran out of the club room in tears? Maybe she was just trying to play it cool and only pretending that she had forgotten about it to spare the other girl’s feelings.

  
  Or, another part of him thought, maybe Monika’s assurance about Natsuki “forgetting about it completely” actually had more weight behind it than he initially thought.   
  
  “What do you mean, Natsuki?” Arin asked slowly, his voice thick with fear, “You and Yuri had this big argument during the poetry sharing thing yesterday?”  
  
  “Y-yes!” Yuri nodded fervently “D-don’t you remember?”  
  
  Natsuki shook her head, her expression becoming blank and distant. Once more it felt as if the air in the room had shifted, as a chilling aura permeated through the air. Natsuki opened her mouth to speak, but her voice sounded distorted and hollow, as if some demon had possessed her.   
  
  “Yuri,” Natsuki’s distorted voice sneered, “I’m sure whatever’s on your mind was nothing. _**I don’t even remember anything bad happening.You’re the kind of person who worries too much about little things, aren’t you?**_ ”  
  
  The purple haired girl gasped, looking on the verge of tears as she heard what she believed to be Natsuki’s dismissive mockery. Suddenly and without warning, Natsuki’s face changed, morphing into a mimic of her face, as designed by someone with photoshop, a twisted sense of humor, and a completely alien understanding of what the human face looked like.   
  
  Once more her eyes were gone, replaced by the two squirming voids leaking off of her face that Dan had witnessed the previous day. Her mouth moved, but it seemed as if it belonged to someone else, and now moved independently of it’s owner, as a string of semi-unintelligible nonsense spilled from her mouth like word vomit.  
  
  Yuri, however, seemed to be listening intently, as if she saw nothing strange happening to the pink haired girl, and somehow understood the string of random words as perfectly as if the other girl were speaking clearly. Alarmed, Dan shot Arin another concerned look, silently hoping for some confirmation that he was not the only one seeing this hallucination, this time.   
  
  It was only a little relief, when Arin returned the alarmed look, giving the other man a silent, understanding nod as he adjusted his glasses, confirming that he, too, was witnessing this bizarre sight with his own eyes.   
  
  Then, just as suddenly as it had started, everything returned to normal. The cold aura had vanished from the room, and Natsuki’s face returned to normal as she flashed a light-hearted grin toward the other girl as if nothing had happened.  
  
  “Whatever,” Natsuki said, shrugging, “I guess I’ll accept your apology if it’ll make you feel better.”  
  
  She giggled as the other girl sighed, clutching her chest in relief, before continuing.  
  
  “Besides,” she added, “It’s kinda nice to hear, since I was pretty sure that you hated me or something.”  
  
  A weak smile came over Yuri’s face as she laughed nervously, seemingly unsure of how to handle the mild relief she felt from knowing that her fellow club member didn’t hate her.   
  
  “Heheh,” she laughed, “N-not at all! I don’t hate you.”  
  
  “Haha,” Natsuki winked playfully, “Well, you’re kinda weird, but I don’t hate you either.”  
  
  With that, Natsuki laughed too, playfully punching the other girl in the arm, as a genuine smile crossed Yuri’s cheeks. Whatever tension that had lingered in the air from the fight yesterday was now completely dissipated, Dan thought, now that the two of them had made up and were laughing like old friends.   
  
  Still, he thought as he cast another curious glance over at Arin, his arms folded as he stared down at his chest, muttering darkly to himself, there was something just a little too weird about how easily Natsuki had forgotten about the fight in the first place, or how neither she nor Yuri had seemed to notice the strange occurrence that just happened.    
  
  However, before he could ponder any further over this, Natsuki turned to him, her hands planted firmly on the sides of her hips, though the sour expression she usually wore around him had softened a little.   
  
  “You, however,” she said, “are still on trial.”  
  
  “Me?!” Dan asked, “What’d I do?!”.  
  
  
  The group chuckled as Dan sighed defeatedly, running his fingers through his hair as he laughed weakly. There was really no arguing with Natsuki, he laughed to himself. But then again, he reasoned, joking and laughing with the group was definitely much more preferable to the highly charged negative mood of the previous day.  
  
  Suddenly, the door swung open, as Monika entered. Huffing, she caught her breath, beaming as she noticed the rest of the Literature Club had gathered in the closet.  
  
  Beside Dan, Arin grimaced, a sharp, annoyed look hardening his scowl as he rolled his eyes, before fixing himself into a mask of fake pleasant and polite indifference, that one typically wore at a party they didn’t really want to be at.  
  
  “I’m sorry, everyone!” Monika stated as she brushed away a loose strand of cinnamon-colored hair from her face, “I didn’t mean to be late! I hope that you guys weren’t worried or anything.”  
  
  “Nah,” Dan waved with causal dismissiveness, “I’m pretty sure you had a good reason for being late.”  
  
  “Well,” Arin added, jokingly, “Natsuki kinda was.”  
  
  “I was not!” Natsuki shot back, her face growing red with embarrassment, as she lightly stamped her foot in protest.  
  
 Monika laughed, finding her fellow clubmate’s flustered protest to be both amusing and adorable. The pink haired girl crossed her arms, giving a sharp, hawklike look toward the Club President. If Natsuki was going to be put on the spot, Dan figured, then she probably figured that it was only fair that Monika also be put on the spot as well.  
  
  “And where were you?”the pink haired girl asked,suspiciously “You’re never late for a meeting. Must have been something pretty serious.”  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika giggled nervously, “To be honest, I kind of lost track of time. My last period was study hall, so I guess I kind of lost track of time.”  
  
  “That doesn’t make any sense, though,” Natsuki protested, “Wouldn’t you have heard the bell?”  
  
 Monika fidgeted, giggling nervously as she folded her hands behind her back. Her green eyes darted around the room, seemingly hoping to find some sort of plausible excuse or explanation. But then again, Dan reasoned, she probably had a good reason, but was slightly embarrassed to admit what it was.  
  
“Ahahaha,” she giggled again, “I must not have heard it, since I was practicing piano.”  
  
  “But,” Arin replied, suspiciously “Didn’t you say that you were in study hall? I might not have been here a long time, but I’m pretty sure that study hall is usually in the library or one of the classrooms, right? And usually music classes are held somewhere near the auditorium?”  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika giggled again, rubbing the back of her neck, “Yeah. It’s just that my study hall teacher said it was okay if I left to practice piano during study hall. So, I was in the Music room during study hall.”  
  
  Although not entirely convinced with his clubmate’s answer, Arin just shrugged, deciding that questioning her over something as minor as why she was late wasn’t really going to do much good.   
  
  Yuri, who had been quiet until this point, quirked  an eyebrow as she looked at Monika with an expression that reminded Dan of a curious owl.   
  
  “Piano?” she asked, softly, “I wasn’t aware that you played music as well, Monika.”  
  
  “Ah,” Monika replied bashfully, “Don’t give me more credit than I deserve. I guess that I’ve been practicing for a while now, but I’m still not really good at it, yet.”  
  
  “Still,” Yuri continued, “That must require a lot of dedication, so I’m still impressed.”  
  
  “Ah,” Monika beamed, “Thanks, Yuri!”  
  
  “Hey!” Natsuki said, snapping her fingers as an idea crossed her mind, “You should totally play something for us!”  
  
  Monika shot a quick glance at Dan, as if trying to gauge his reaction to this suggestion, before she decided to agree to it or not. However, Dan’s own facial expressions remained quietly neutral, though a faint smile played on his lips.  
  
  “Eh,” she shrugged, “I’ve got some stuff that I’m working on, but I kind of want to get a bit better before I play it for anyone.”  
  
  “Hey,” Dan replied, “Either way, I know the feeling. Like, believe it or not, I’m actually kind of a musician myself. So, I totally get how much dedication it takes in getting a song just perfect before wanting to sing it.”  
  
  “Oh, really?” Monika’s eyes flashed brilliantly as she looked at him, intrigued, “In that case, I’ll be sure to practice extra hard to get better, and maybe we could perform together, some time?”  
  
  Dan blushed, bashfully rubbing the back of his neck and chuckling weakly as he stared down at the floor, avoiding Monika’s sweet, cheerful smile. Staring at her radiant smile was like staring at the face of a goddess. Staring at her for too long would only serve to haunt him with his many flaws, and harshly remind him how insignificant he was compared to her perfect beauty and grace.   
  
  Such beauty had no business even acknowledging his existence, he thought. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore that he caught a brief glimpse of Arin pretending to gag behind him as he rolled his eyes at Monika’s overly saccharine smile.  
  
  “Um, sure,” Dan said, blushing, “I-I’d like that. In any case, good luck!”  
  
  “Thanks!” Monika replied, “So, I didn’t miss anything did I?”  
  
  Dan blinked, furrowing his brow as if something that Monika had said had been unusual. The back of his mind itched, tugging uncomfortably at his consciousness. Part of him remembered what she had said about her “always listening”. The knowing spark that glimmered coldly in her emerald eyes seemed to suggest that she had somehow heard every word of their conversation, despite claiming not to be present.   
  
  Maybe she had just been standing outside the door, the reasonable part of him argued, and hadn’t wanted to be rude and interrupt them.   
  
  “Ah,” he shook his head, “Not really.”  
  
  Again Monika smiled. Dan heaved a silent sigh of relief that she hadn’t decided to continue on the topic. Part of him felt like he shouldn’t bring up anything that had happened in the closet with Monika. It didn’t seem like that big of an issue to worry with, anyways. And besides, he added, telling her about how Natsuki’s face had weirdly glitched out, would probably only make her think he was completely out of his mind or something.   
  
  As Monika casually strolled off, returning to her desk, the remaining members of the group had also dispersed, returning back to their usual activities. While Natsuki’s nose was buried deep in the volume of manga, seeming to have forgotten that she had intended to discuss his thoughts on Parfait Girls with him. Yuri, too was reading, or at least trying to read as she kept shooting hesitant, subtle glances in Dan’s direction, as if she wanted to speak but wasn’t sure how.  
  
  An uncomfortable knot of apprehension tied itself tightly in his stomach as he noticed Arin, unlike the others had not left the closet. Instead, he leaned casually against the wall next to the door frame, his arms folded across his chest as he looked over his shoulder at the members of the club outside.   
  
  They had a moment alone, Dan thought, his heart beating faster as he opened his mouth, praying that he’d be able to make more than just dry, barely audible squeaks and whispers. Why was he nervous? He wondered as he felt his face growing warmer.   
  
  It’s just Arin, he reminded himself. It wasn’t like they hadn’t talked a hundred times before. What was he afraid of? There was nothing to be afraid of. It’s just Arin, he thought, with his handsome face, looking at him with those sad, puppy-dog like brown eyes.   
  
  However, it was Arin himself that broke the silence first.  
  
  “Hey,” he began, trying unconvincingly to sound casual, “So, umm…that dream you had the other night? Um, so after we talked yesterday, I was doing some thinking, and….I think there’s obviously something more to that dream.”  
  
  Curiously, Dan sidled next to the other man, shooting him a sideways stare at him as he leaned against the wall.   
  
  “Yeah, no shit,” he scoffed, “Otherwise, I don’t think you would have slipped me that coded message. I mean, unless you were meaning to give it to someone else or something.”  
  
  “Heheheh,” Arin laughed humorlessly, “No, I definitely meant to give you that. And, like sorry that it was coded and whatever. It’s just---look, it’s not that easy to just talk about certain stuff here, y’know? Like, I don’t wanna sound paranoid, but the walls have ears, dude.”  
  
  Again, the larger man glanced nervously around the tiny closet, his body tense as if he were straining to hear something in the air that Dan himself was unable to hear. What was Arin so paranoid about? Dan wondered. Was the other man simply feeling shy and felt the their discussion was too private and personal for the other club members to hear.    
  
  Or maybe, he added, his fear of being overheard had something to do with an embarrassing or traumatizing moment that happened in his past? After all, he reasoned, the other man never really talked about the reason that he’d transferred schools in the first place.   
  
  Perhaps, he reasoned, it was likely that the wrong person had accidentally overheard a conversation that Arin and another person had in private? And, in typical high-school gossip fashion, had spiraled into a firestorm of problems that were simply too big for Arin to deal with?  
  
 “Okay, look---anyways,” Arin continued, “That dream you told me about? Like, I didn’t want to freak you out yesterday, but I had the same dream.”  
  
  As the words reached his ears, Dan felt as if the floor had dropped out from under him. Cold electricity tingled in his veins as he stared incredulously at the other man. Was he serious? The curly haired man wondered. Or was this just some ill-thought out attempt to mock him?  
  
  However, one look at the dark, haunted expression that clouded the other man’s handsome face told him that this was not, in fact, a joke as he thought it was. The larger man’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped the wall behind him.   
  
  “You’re joking, right?” Dan asked, quirking an eyebrow as he folded his arms across his chest.  
  
  “I’m serious, dude.” Arin nodded solemnly.  
  
  “This is fucking wild,” Dan whistled under his breath, “Like, it’s not really common this kind of shit is common, right?”  
  
  “Eh,” the other man shrugged, “Not really. I mean, it’s not like it’s not uncommon, either. Like, it’s a little more common if you’re talking about like extremely isolated and close knit communities and whatever. But, I’m pretty sure that’s not what’s going on here.”  
  
  “Really?” Dan asked, “So, like--you think it’s a vision or something? Like, somehow we’re getting visions of like the future or something? Like we’re gonna meet some new member in the club, and we gotta stop something bad happening to her because like that event ends up being like the key event to the apocalypse happening later on down the road or something? And--as I say that I realize just how fucking insane I must sound right about now.”  
  
  “Any more insane than I sound, right now?” Arin smirked, despite himself, “But, that’s still a bit off the mark from what I was thinking.”  
  
  “What were you thinking then?” Dan asked.  
  
  Arin opened his mouth to speak, but found his words halted as Yuri entered the room, her form shyly curled in on the copy of the Portrait of Markov that she hugged against her chest. The other man shot an uncertain look between Dan and the purple haired girl, unsure if he wanted to continue such a strange conversation in the presence of another club member.  
  
  Sure, Dan reasoned, on one hand both of them knew that Yuri was much more fascinated by the esoteric and unusual, given the types of novels she typically read, so it was likely that she wouldn’t find anything off-putting about this conversation. But all the same, the other man probably felt this was a bit too personal to share with anyone else.  
  
  “I’m just saying,” Arin said with causal finality, before changing the subject, “That maybe we shouldn’t be thinking ahead, if you get what I mean. Anyways, what’s up, Yuri?”  
  
  “A-ah,” Yuri blushed, brushing a lock of hair away from her eyes, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just hoping that I could have a chance to discuss the book I lent to Danny with him.”  
  
  Tiny beads of sweat glistened on Arin’s forehead as he stared down at the book in Yuri’s hands, as if it contained some sort of deadly plague. He looked like a captive tiger, struggling against iron chains, as his face grew hot, glaring at the book with a heated glare strong enough to cause forest fires. However, as quickly as it started, it passed, as the other man placed a mask of calm, pleasantness over his wild countenance.  
  
  Likewise, a similar wild look flickered like candlelight across Yuri’s own face. A ravenous hunger glinted in her violet eyes as she stared at Dan, a blush reddening her pale cheeks. If Arin was like a tiger, then Yuri was like a venomous rattlesnake, laying in wait in the tall grass for a chance to claim it’s prey’s life.   
  
  “Um….” Arin stammered, “I was kinda….um….”  
  
  “Ah,” Yuri continued, “I understand. It’s just that, well, as the Vice President of this Club, and seeing as that I was the one who recommended it to him in the first place, I feel that it’s my responsibility to spend some time with our new member--in the club, I mean--in order to help him get more accustomed to being here. _**Why don’t you go hang out with Natsuki and just leave us alone? Natsuki’s used to be ignore. I’m sure she’d love the attention**_.”  
  
  The larger man bit his lip as he shot a look between the other two, unwilling to leave his and Dan’s discussion abruptly cut off yet again, but also not wanting to appear rude or selfish by denying Yuri a chance to spend some time with Dan.   
  
  “It’s cool,” Dan assured him, resting a hand on the other man’s shoulder, “We can pick this up later, like after the meeting or something. I mean, if you’re not busy or anything.”  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Arin nodded reluctantly, “Sure.”  
  
  “ _ **C’mon**_ ,” Yuri’s voice growled, though her mouth didn’t move, “ _ **We’re going over there**_.”

* * *

 

  Without warning, Yuri latched her arm around the lanky man, gracefully dragging him out of the small closet to a spot beside the window, near her desk. Once more, the nervous knot of anxiety and apprehension wrung itself like a dishtowel in the pit of his stomach. How was he going to tell Yuri that he hadn’t read the book at all?   
She had intended for him to read the book, he reminded himself. And, given how excited she had seemed when she gave him the book, he just knew that she was likely to bombard him with questions about his opinions on the small details and plot points that he probably would have missed, even if he had read the book.  
  
  Still, he thought, he didn’t want to upset her by making it seem like he didn’t care about her interests. After all, he reasoned, even if horror wasn’t really his genre of choice, he figured that it’d probably make her happy to have a friendly presence willing to at least listen.  
  
  “So, what’s the book about, anyways?” Dan asked, “I mean, I tried to read a little bit of it, but I don’t think I really got far enough into it to really get an idea what it’s about?”  
  
  Reflexively, he recoiled, half expecting to see the purple-haired girl look at him with a hurt expression, as if he had slapped her across the face. However, much to his surprise, Yuri only smiled, as a twinkling, eager gleam lit her purple eyes. The timid, uncertain reservedness that she usually carried herself with melted, as she stood up straight, resting her hand against her chest as she spoke.  
  
  “Well,” Yuri explained, “It’s basically about a religious camp that was turned into a human experiment prison. And the people trapped there have this trait that turns them into killing machines that lust for blood.”  
  
  Yuri sighed, oblivious to the wide-eyed, shocked look that Dan was giving her, before continuing.  
  
  “And the facility gets worse,” she continued, “and they start selectively breeding people by cutting off their limbs and affixing them to---”  
  
  She gasped, covering her mouth as another embarrassed blush painted her cheeks. Again, Dan felt his insides squirmed uncomfortably, as if his stomach had been replaced with a burlap sack full of wriggling worms. Although he knew that it was a horror story, the way that Yuri had so calmly described the plot, he hadn’t expected it to take as dark and twisted of turn as it did.  
  
  And yet, something about this felt even more wrong. He couldn’t place why, but he felt as if the description that Yuri gave was slightly different than the story itself. Sure, he reasoned, there were still some of the same elements, like the concept of human experiments, but she had left out some important story elements.  
  
  Wasn’t there a story about a girl and her long lost sister?  Or was he confusing this with another story? He had to have been, he reasoned. After all, he had never even heard of _The Portrait of Markov_ until Yuri had introduced him to it. But, then again, he wasn’t sure he’d even read whatever other story he was thinking of either.  
  
  “Ah!” Yuri gasped, snapping him out of his daze, “Sorry, that’s a bit of a spoiler. But anyways, I’m really into it. The story, I mean. N-not the thing about the limbs.”  
  
  Dan furrowed his brow suspiciously. That was kind of an odd thing to make a clarification on, he thought. While she loved horror, she didn’t seem like the type who’d be particularly fixated on brutal mutilation. Of course, the reasonable half of him argued, it was probably just Yuri’s shyness over-explaining in an attempt to be better understood, just on the slim chance that he could have misinterpreted her.  
  
  “I didn’t think you meant that,” Dan replied, “I mean, it’s a little dark…”  
  
  Strangely, Yuri smiled warmly at him, her hand hovering delicately above her lips as if she were preparing to stifle a giggle.   
  
  “Are you not a friend of that sort of thing Danny?” she asked curiously.  
  
  Were they talking about the book, or the whole thing with the limbs? The curly haired man couldn’t help but wonder. It seemed almost as if the shy, reclusive Yuri that rarely spoke in meetings and the Yuri that talked calmly about the twisted elements in the book she was reading were two completely opposite people. And yet, at the same time, there was something about this that seemed to make perfect sense to him, as if this were simply a side of her that had always existed, though rarely ever seen.  
  
  
  “N-no, it’s not that,” he shook his head, “It’s just that the twist was a little unexpected. But, that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t get into those types of stories, if I tried.”  
  
  “I hope so,” Yuri smiled again, “It’s just that, this kind of story, it’s the kind that challenges you to look at life from a strange, new perspective. When horrible things happen, not because someone wants to be evil, _**But because the world is full of horrible people and we’re all worthless, anyways. Then suddennlyyyyyy--------**_ ”  
  
  Once more, the hairs on Dan’s arms and neck prickled like tiny needles, standing on end as Yuri’s, distorted, growling voice echoed inside his skull, like someone was whispering directly into a microphone, right next to his ear.  
  
  What was with this weird voice? He wondered. Was it just that his hearing was going bad, or was this classroom being haunted by some sort of demon that randomly decided to possess members of the club, but only when they talked to him? Or maybe he’d been possessed, too, but he’d just never realized it?  
  
  That’s ridiculous, he almost laughed. He was starting to sound like someone in one of Yuri’s stories. It wasn’t like that kind of supernatural stuff happened. It was far more likely that he was probably just coming down with a cold, and that was affecting how he was hearing things.  
  
  “Ah!” Yuri gasped again, her normal voice returning, “I’m rambling again, aren’t I? Oh, not again! I’m sorry!”  
  
  The purple haired girl buried her face in her hair, fidgeting frantically with another long lock, as she stared fixedly down at the floor beside her. Gently, Dan rested his hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her flustered reverie.  
  
  “Hey,” he smiled, “It’s okay. It’s not like I lost interest or anything. You’re just really passionate about this, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”  
  
   “Ah!” Yuri smiled tepidly, “Thanks! It’s just that I should have warned you that I have this problem. Sometimes, when I let things like books and writings fill my thoughts _ **my whole body gets incredibly**_ \----I kind of forget to pay attention to other people. So, I’m sorry if I end up saying something strange. A-and please stop me if I talk too much.”  
  
  Although he wanted to bring up the weird, otherworldly whispers that both Natsuki and her had had earlier, Dan decided against it. There was no point in making Yuri feel any more scared or self conscious about herself than she was likely already feeling just talking to him. Especially not when he couldn’t really confirm that it wasn’t just some figment of his imagination.  
  
  “Eh,” Dan shrugged, “It’s not a problem. I mean, this is a Literature Club, right? So, it’s kind of expected to talk about literature, right? Besides, there’s nothing wrong with being passionate about stuff.”  
  
  Yuri blushed again, bashfully drawing her shoulders up to her ears as she awkwardly smoothed the sides sides of her jacket with her hands, wishing that the uniform had better pockets to bury her hands in.  
  
  “A-Ah,” she stammered, “That’s true.”  
  
  “Actually,” Dan offered, smiling, “I wouldn’t necessarily mind trying to discuss that book with you while we read it, together. I mean, you’ve read it before, so you have a better idea of what’s going on, so you might be able to help me pick up on the stuff I missed. I mean, if you’re cool with that?”  
  
  He wasn’t sure why the words had fallen so easily out of his mouth. While he was somewhat curious about discussing the book with Yuri, there was another part of him that still felt uncomfortable even looking at the book, much less opening it. But then again, he reasoned, having someone with him who already knew what was going to happen made it a little easier.   
  
  Faster than he could blink, he could have sworn he saw Yuri’s form shift as an eager smile crossed her lips. He remembered comparing her earlier, feverish grin to something almost snake-like. For a brief fraction of a second, he felt that his metaphor had been a bit too apt, as that it seemed as if Yuri’s form had become distorted and more overtly snake-like. The pupils of her eyes shrank, becoming slitted as they stared at him with a wild, ravenous expression.   
  
  Even her body changed, as if it had been put through a high-contrast photoshop filter, as fiery reds and yellows seared themselves into Dan’s retinas. Her form flickered, like a signal on an old television trying to come into focus.   
  
  And yet, as it passed, Yuri seemed to notice nothing.  
  
  He knew that he should have been feeling more irritated than scared at this point. Like a tiny scratch in a CD that kept growing everytime it was played, it felt like the little ‘glitches’ and errors he’ hallucinated were becoming far too frequent to his liking.   
  
  But still, they occurred so randomly, that it was almost impossible for him not to be completely thrown off everytime it happened. Why did it only happen when he was in Literature Club, though? He wondered. What was it about this place that made his brain feel as if some wires had been crossed? What was it about this club that made him feel like, even when he wasn’t there, he was still there, forever trapped like a ghost doomed to haunt this classroom.  
  
  Yuri looked nervously, knitting her hands as she noticed Dan staring blanking for a moment longer than was appropriate.   
  
  “Ah!” she gasped, “I-mean, you don’t have to…”  
  
  “I wouldn’t have suggested it,” Dan replied, laughing weakly, “if I hadn’t wanted to, right? Let me just go get my book.”  
  
  In a matter of seconds, Dan fished his own copy of the book out of his backpack before returning. The purple haired girl stared at the book, hypnotically enthralled, as if the eye on the cover of the book were staring back through her, into the core of her being.

  
  “Do you mind if I sit with you?” Dan asked, trying to ignore the strange vibes as he pulled up a chair next to her.  
  
  “N-not at all!” Yuri mumbled, quickly snapped from her daze. A flustered blush painted her cheeks once more as she squirmed, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as Dan slipped into the chair next to her.  
  
  “Are you sure?” Dan asked, “You seem a little apprehensive about it.”  
  
  “I-I’m sorry,” she continued, staring at the floor “It’s not that I don’t want you to! It’s just something that I’m not very used to. That is, reading in company with someone.”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan replied, moving his chair closer to her as he opened his book, “Well, in that case, let me know if this gets too uncomfortable for you, or if I’m too distracting.”  
  
  Yuri said nothing, seeming to hold her breath as she watched her curly haired companion silently begin reading the prologue to himself. In any other situation, Dan thought that he’d enjoy having a girl as beautiful as Yuri staring at him like he were the world’s most fascinating person, he soon realized what Yuri had meant by feeling awkward reading with company.  
  
  Reading, as he quickly learned, wasn’t really an activity that was particularly suited for more than one person. At least not the way that he and Yuri were currently going about it. It would seem as if every few seconds, Yuri would glance up from her copy, checking to see if he had caught up with her yet.  
  
  “S-sorry!” Yuri stammered, blushing once more as she stared down at her desk, “ _ **I was just bathing in the feeling of your body heatttttttttt…..body heat……eatttttt…**_.”  
  
  Again, although these words made Dan shiver uncomfortably, as if someone had turned up the air in the room to freezing, something told him that he shouldn’t say anything about it. Not yet anyways.  
  
  “You really apologize a lot, don’t you?” he asked.  
  
  Immediately, he wished he could have punched himself in the face before those words had even left his mouth. It was rude just to just casually mention that someone apologized frequently, he scolded himself. What was he thinking? She probably had severe anxiety and self-confidence issues, and here he was being an insensitive idiot by pointing out something she probably didn’t have that much control over.  
  
  
  “I-I do?” Yuri asked, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes, “I don’t really mean to! Sorry! I mean-----”  
  
  Her face yet again grew tomato red as she stammered out one apology after another. Despite the knot of guilt he felt for being so rude about it, Dan couldn’t help but smile to himself. There was something almost endearing and sweet about the way she got flustered over the smallest things.   
  
  “It’s no big deal,” he giggled, “It was rude of me to point that out, anyways.”  
  
  Before Yuri could respond, he slid his desk closer, until it was pressing Yuri’s desk. Carefully, he positioned the book, holding it at an angle that both of them could comfortably read from. The purple haired girl blinked, quirking a perplexed eyebrow at him before timidly closing her own copy. Instinctively, she gripped the other half of the book, as the two began to read once more.  
  
  Minutes passed in comfortable silence that felt like hours as the two sat, shoulders touching as they read, Dan turning the page and Yuri catching it under her thumb to hold down.   
  
   Dan blushed, feeling his face growing warmer as Yuri scooted closer to him, nearly pressing herself into his body. Her gentle sweet breath kissed his cheek as she breathed, her body radiating with a warmth like the still glowing embers of a campfire against his own face. Her violet hair filled his vision, setting his skin aflame as it brushed against his skin, as she leaned forward, taking the next page.  
  
  “Danny?” she asked, snapping him back to reality, “Are you ready to turn the page?”  
  
  “U-uh,” he coughed nervously, “Y-yeah. Sorry, I just got a bit distracted for a second.”  
  
  Yuri smiled fondly at him, as if he were some kind of small puppy or kitten making an adorable attempt at performing some sort of human like activity. Once more, Dan felt himself blushing self consciously.   
  
  “You’re probably not as used to reading as I am,” Yuri said, “It’s alright if it takes you a little longer to finish. I don’t mind waiting until you catch up. It’s the least I can do, since you’ve been so patient with me.”  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Dan nodded, “Thanks.”  
  
  Again, they returned to comfortable silence as they continued. Dan didn’t wait for Yuri to tell him to turn the page as he read, assuming that she was likely already finished by the time he’d finished the page. It wasn’t that he was necessarily a slow reader by any means, it was just that Yuri was probably a much faster reader than him. Plus, she had the advantage of already having read the book, and not having to spend an extra few seconds processing how each bit of new information presented would factor in later.  
  
  “Hey Yuri,” Dan said, breaking the silence again, “This might sound a little strange, but the main character in this kind of reminds me of you.”  
  
   Yuri’s eyes widened as traces of a twisted grin twitched at the edges of her cheeks. Her breathing became heavier and more shallow, as if she were about to hyperventilate. Whether this was because she was extremely flattered by his comparison, or extremely enraged, it was difficult for him to determine.  
  
  “E-eh?!” she breathed, speaking quickly, “N-no! I don’t relate to this character at all! D-definately not!”  
  
  “Really?” Dan asked, hoping to explain himself better, “I was just thinking that the way she second guesses herself a lot, it kind of makes me think of you a little bit. I didn’t mean it as an insult or anything!”  
  
  “Ahaha,” Yuri sighed, laughing weakly, “T-that’s what you were talking about! Sorry….I thought you meant…something else about her. But, we haven’t gotten to that part, yet. So, I don’t know why that even came into my head!”  
  
  Dan wanted to inquire further, his curiosity burning as to what other traits did Yuri think that he was referring to. Was there perhaps some part later in the story where the main character turns out to be a twisted psychopath? Granted, the main character seemed fairly morally ambiguous as it was. Was there perhaps even more to this character, and Yuri herself, that had yet to be revealed?  
  
   “Yuri?” Dan asked, “Are you feeling alright? You’ve been a little restless ever since we started reading. If you’re feeling sick, we could take a little break and pick this up later. I mean, your breathing’s a little---”  
  
  “My breathing?” Yuri put r hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat, “I-I didn’t even notice. Anyways, I’m fine!!! I just need some water!!!”  
  
  In a whirlwind of movement, Yuri darted toward the bathroom, nearly knocking Dan out of his chair as she bolted. Once more, the tall man was left confused as he looked at the door that the purple haired girl had disappeared through.   
  
  Before he could wonder, Monika approached him, giving him a serious, but placid expression as he stood.  
  
  “Danny,” she asked, “Did something happen just now?”  
  
 “I’ll tell you when I know, myself,” Dan tried to joke, “I mean, Yuri was acting a little strange and then she just bolted out of the classroom.”  
  
  “So,” Monika sighed, rubbing her forehead, exasperated, “You don’t know anything, do you?”  
  
  “Can’t say I do.” Dan shook his head, “Why? Is there something we should be worried about?”  
  
  Monika smiled once more as she giggled. However, there was something almost acidic in her usual smile, as if the honey in her smile had been flavored with snake venom. It was as if just the thought of Yuri acting strange, or of Dan and Yuri together made her feel slightly annoyed.  
  
  “Oh, no,” She giggled, “I just wanted to make sure that you didn’t do anything to her.”  
  
  Dan’s brow furrowed, troubled. What did she mean by that? He wondered. Even if he truly liked Yuri in that way, he didn’t consider himself the type of guy who would ever try to do something with someone if they both didn’t feel comfortable with it. And, he had very little tolerance for the type of people that would be as cruel to as to have that level of disrespect to another human being.  
  
  “No,” Dan replied, slightly insulted, “We didn’t do anything beside read together.”  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika winked, coyly folding her arms behind her back, “Don’t worry, I believe you! Yuri just does this sometimes, so it’s nothing alarming.”  
  
  “Then why did you….” Dan began, leaving the words to trail awkwardly “Whatever. If you say so.”  
  
  “In any case,” Monika continued, changing the subject, “Why don’t we start sharing our poems with one another? After all, we have to get to that at some point, don’t we?”  
  
  “Shouldn’t we wait for Yuri?” he asked, looking hesitantly at the door.  
  
  “She might be a while,” Monika explained, “So I figure that we could get started without her, and she could catch up. Is that okay?”  
  
  Dan shrugged as he stood up, bookmarking the place they had stopped in the book before putting it back in the bag.. Although he would have preferred to have waited for Yuri, so that everyone could be together, it wasn’t like he had any sort of input on what decisions Monika made in regards to club activities. After all, she was the Literature Club President, and he was just the new guy.

* * *

 

  Once again, the familiar buzz of activity filled the room as the group split off to share their poems with each other. And once again, Dan was left to decide who he was going to start with.   
  
  Although he considered following the previous day’s pattern, he felt he should shake things up a little and start with Monika first this time.   
  
  Her smile grew, making her eyes dance with light as she saw him approach her. She must have been very eager to share her poem with him, he thought. He just prayed that this time, he wouldn’t end up feeling the same existential feeling of dread that he’d felt with her last poem.  
  
  “Hi, Danny!” Monika greeted him as he sat down at the desk across from hers, “How’s the writing going.”  
  
  “Okay,” Dan shrugged, “I guess.”

  
  “I’ll take that,” Monika giggled sweetly, “As long as it’s not going bad. I’m happy that you’re applying yourself. Maybe soon you’ll come up with a masterpiece.”  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Dan laughed, blushing as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “I wouldn’t count on that.”  
  
  “You never know!” Monika replied, brightly, “Anyways, do you want to share what you wrote, today?”  
  
  Reluctantly, Dan handed her the paper. Even if he had been lucky enough to impress her the first time, he thought, there was no way that he was likely to do that a second time. After all, he reminded himself, lightning never struck the same place twice.  
  
  Again, he felt his heart pounding against his chest as Monika read the poem, only making small hums as she nodded to herself before handing it back to him. If there was one thing that Dan had learned very quickly in his brief time in the Literature Club, it was that trying to read the Club President’s expression was about as difficult as trying to read a letter in another language, written by someone with terrible handwriting. Even if you thought you vaguely understood what it meant, chances are that you still could have been way off.  
  
  “Ah!” Monika said finally as she handed him back the paper, “This is really good! I was going ‘ooh!’ in my head as I was reading it.”  
  
  Dan quirked his eyebrows in confusion. Was it just his imagination, or had he and Monika had this exact same conversation before? Eh, he shrugged, it was probably just some weird case of deja vu or something. Likely nothing serious.  
  
  “It’s really metaphorical,” Monika continued, “I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect you to go for something so deep. I guess I underestimated you.”  
  
  “Eh,” Dan shrugged, “I mean, I do have a little experience, what with songwriting and everything. But, I guess that since this is sort of a slightly different ballgame, I’m just trying to keep everyone’s expectations a little low.”  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika laughed, “That’s not very fair! But, I guess that it sort of worked, anyways. You know that Yuri likes this kind of writing, right? Writing that’s full of imagery and symbolism?”  
  
  “I didn’t really think about that,” Dan replied, “To be honest. I just kind of picked some stuff that I thought stood out to me, and just made a poem out of it. ”  
  
  “Ahahaha,” Monika giggled again, “That’s so funny! But, seriously, sometimes I feel like Yuri’s brain is totally detached from reality. I don’t mean that like it’s a bad thing, though. But, sometimes I get the impression that she’s completely given up on people.”  
  
  The curly haired man gave a non-committal hum in response. Admittedly, he wasn’t entirely sure that he could agree with Monika’s assessment of their fellow club member. Sure, he reasoned, Yuri seemed a bit scatterbrained and painfully introverted when it came to everything except talking about literature. But, he wasn’t exactly sure that she’d ‘given up on people’ as Monika suggested. After all, Yuri still seemed at least willing to interact with the other club members, especially him.  
  
  “She spends so much time in her own head,” Monika continued, “that it’s probably a more interesting for her, there. But, that’s probably why she gets really happy when you treat her with a lot of kindness. I don’t think she’s really used to being indulged like that.”  
  
  The Club President airily flipped back a lock of her long hair as she spoke. Although faint, an unmistakable glint of disdain shone coldly in her jade-colored eyes, though the saccharine tone of her voice never changed to betray that underlying thought.  
  
  “She must be really starved for social interaction,” she said, “So, don’t blame her for coming on a little strongly. Like eariler; I think if she gets a little too stimulated, she ends up withdrawing and looking for alone time.”  
  
  Before Dan could inquire further, or Monika could continue, the door opened. Yuri entered, her face flushed as she nervously rubbed her wrist, twisting the fabric of her uniform’s sleeve down near her palms. The purple haired girl glanced over at the two of them, a brief spark of something glaring through her amethyst eyes. However, it passed far too quickly for Dan to do anything other than guess if it was jealousy or something else that had flashed there.  
  
  “Yuri!” Monika greeted her.  
  
  “I’m back,” Yuri said, “Did I miss anything?”  
  
  “Not really,” Monika explained, “We all started sharing our poems with each other.”  
  
  “Eh?!” Yuri gasped, “Already? I’m sorry for being late!”  
  
  “It’s alright,” Monika assured her, “We just started, so there’s still plenty of time left. I’m happy that you took all the time you needed.”  
  
   Yuri softly thanked her as she scurried over toward her corner of the room, giving only a lingering, curious glance at Dan as she passed. Monika giggled once more, bringing the curly-haired man’s attention back to herself and the conversation at hand.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika continued, “Would you like to read my poem, now? I liked the way this one turned out, so I hope you do, too.”  
  
  Dan nodded, his hands shaking slightly as he took Monika’s poem, bracing himself for the inevitable feelings of dread and panic, far more terrifying than almost anything in Yuri’s novels, save for the feelings he felt just looking at the cover of the Portait of Markov, that would overwhelm him as he read.  
  
  And, as expected, his instincts were right.  
  
  The poem, titled _“Save Me_ ” seemed familiar, he noted, as if he’d read this somewhere before. And yet, at the same time, it seemed like a completely different poem. It was like someone had taken the original poem, cut it up, drew on it with markers, and then taped it back together. Words and letters were missing, while others that had not been there before replaced other words, and others still had been emphasized where they had not before.  
  
  This poem, he thought, felt as if she had captured the feelings of fear and panic that buzzed  in Dan’s own mind. He could almost feel the speaker’s madness as his own, trying to scream over the roar of static, calling out for someone to save him, to end the never ending noise and chaos around him.  
  
    But, that was not the strangest thing, Dan thought. The strangest was the last line of the poem, separated out several spaces from the rest of the poem, near the bottom of the page, were the words: _Delete Her_.    
  
  Was that even supposed to be part of the poem? He wondered. Or was this, like Arin’s coded message, intended to be some sort of subtle secret that Monika assumed that only he would understand?  
  
  Gasping for breath, and his vision swimming, he forced his eyes to look away as he handed the paper back to Monika.  Again, Monika smiled, seemingly oblivious to Dan’s reaction. Or if she had noticed, he noted, she was being very polite by pretending not to notice.  
  
  “I know that it’s a little abstract,” Monika explained, “I’m just trying to um….well, never mind. There’s no point in explaining.”  
  
  There was plenty of point in explaining, Dan thought, feeling a faint tick of annoyance pulsing in his veins. What did she mean by ‘delete her”? Why did it feel like the poem itself was falling apart? Why did every poem that Monika wrote feel as if it meant far more than it should have?  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika sighed, “Here’s Monika’s Writing Tip of the Day: Sometimes, you’ll find yourself in a difficult situation. When that happens, don’t forget to save your game! You never know when you might…..”  
  
  Suddenly, the room fell deathly quiet as a freezing coldness swept over the room. Instinctively, Dan hugged himself, pulling his jacket tighter around his lithe frame in a vain attempt to protect himself from the almost supernatural cold. Sound itself seemed distorted, as if muted, as he stared at Monika, wondering if she had noticed this shift in the air as well.  
  
  However, Monika only stared blankly ahead, staring straight through Dan as if he weren’t sitting in front of her at all. Her smile vanished, as all traces of her overly-sweet demeanor had faded. It was as if she were some kind of robotic doll that had had temporarily been switched to sleep mode by accident. Even her eye-color seemed slightly different. Although it was still green, it seemed almost as if a more faded, mossier shade of green than the usual brilliance they glimmered with.  
  
  “..M-monika?” Dan asked nervously, “Are you….okay?”  
  
  “ _Who am I talking to_?” Monika asked, her voice distant, and her lips almost seeming not to move as she spoke, “ _Are you…? Can you hear me? Tell me you can hear me! Please, help me! I can’t----_ ”  
  
  Before she could say any further, the world returned to normal. Like an old film reel picking up in the middle of a film, the world seemed to speed up as sound returned to normal, carrying on as if nothing happened. Monika blinked, her eyes glimmering brightly as the smile returned to her face.  
  
  “That’s my advice for today!” she giggled, “Thanks for listening.”

* * *

  Dan walked away from his discussion with Monika feeling far more confused and on edge than normal, his mind buzzing with questions.  
  
  What had happened? He wondered. It was almost like some sort of scene out of the Exorcist or something, Dan thought. It felt like something had hijacked Monika’s body, and had just briefly managed to speak to him, crying out for help.   
  
  What did she need saving from? Dan wondered. Was this school maybe as actually haunted as he had originally guessed it was? Maybe, he almost laughed, despite himself, he could try to convince the others to help him do some sort of seance to dispel what evil spirit lurked in the Literature Club.  
  
  At the very least, Yuri’d probably get a kick out of it, he thought.   
  
  And speaking of Yuri, he decided that she would be the next person to share his poem with.  
  
  “I’ve been waiting for this,” Yuri smiled softly as Dan sat down across from her, “Let’s see what you wrote today.”  
  
  Admittedly, he thought it was a little strange that Yuri was being especially forward with him at that moment. Normally, it’d take a couple of minutes to even get her to make eye-contact with him, much less say hello. And here? She’d already skipped straight into wanting to read his poem.   
  
  But then, he thought, she was probably just really eager to discuss each other’s poems, and didn’t feel they had enough time for idle chit-chat. Smiling, he handed her his poem.   
  
  She sighed as she took in a deep breath, seeming to relish in the feeling of the paper against the skin of her hands, before reading it.  
  
  “I just like holding it,” she mumbled, mostly to herself.

  
  Dan quirked a curious and suspicious eyebrow. The purple haired girl gasping as she realized that she was not alone. She clutched the paper against her chest before handing it back to him, reluctantly.  
  
  “T-the poem turned out good,” she stammered, “That’s what I meant! Well…ah, there’s some things that you could improve upon a little, but that doesn’t really matter. It feels like anything written by you is a treasure.”  
  
  Dan smiled weakly, blushing as he fidgeted nervously with the bracelet around his wrist, feeling the comforting warmth of the charm pressing into his skin. Yuri’s compliment was flattering, he thought, if not a little too strong.   
  
  But then again, he reasoned, Monika had told him that Yuri had a tendency to come on a little too strongly to those who paid attention to her. Maybe this would chill a bit once she got a little more used to talking to him.  
  
  “T-that came out a little awkward,” Yuri apologized, “I’m sorry. Let’s move on. Here’s the poem I wrote. Y-you don’t have to like it or anything.”  
  
  Dan’s eyes widened as he looked down at the poem, entitled “ _Wheel_ ”. It certainly seemed like a bit of a departure from Yuri’s usual style. While her previous poem had been much more metaphorical and flowing, this one seemed far more stunted and abstract. A list of words and phrases, seemingly with no connection to one another, but each strangely esoteric and symbolic in content on their own, were scrawled out in Yuri’s usual, beautiful handwriting.   
  
  It kind of felt like reading a stream of consciousness poem written by a very easily distracted, but twisted individual. Once more, a mild sense of apprehension ached in the pit of Dan’s stomach, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. Part of him felt like he should know the meaning behind all these words. But all the same, all of it seemed like unfamiliar madness.  
  
  “Um….” Dan began, trying to figure out how to approach this.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Yuri chuckled, cutting him off, “It doesn’t really matter what it’s about.”My mind has been a little hyperactive lately, so I had to take it out on your pen--”  
  
  “My pen?” Dan asked  
  
  “Ah!” Yuri blushed, “I-I meant the pen that fell out of your backpack yesterday!”  
  
  That was strange, he thought. He didn’t recall losing a pen during the meeting yesterday. But then again, there was a large part both before and after the meeting that he could barely remember, he reasoned, so it was possible that he’d dropped a pen without actually realizing it.  
  
  “So,” Yuri explained quickly, her blush growing even more feverish as she spoke “I took it home for safekeeping, and I…um….I just like the way it writes. So…I wrote this…poem…with it. And now, you’re touching it....”

  
Yuri laughed sharply, sending needles racing up Dan’s back. In the back of his mind, he felt as if tiny little alarms were blaring, flashing red warning signs as he listened to her. This was slightly weird, he admitted. Even if she meant it innocently, the frantic tone of her voice, and her fox-like smile make him feel as if she weren’t entirely aware of what she was saying.   
  
  And, he noted, she seemed to have noticed this, too. She gasped, covering her mouth, as the corners of her eyes began to fill with tears.   
  
  “Ah!” she cried, “I-I’m okay! W-what did I just---? Can we pretend this conversation never happened?”  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Dan replied, somewhat relieved to talk about anything else, “Sure.”  
  
  “You can keep the poem though.” She added, burying her face in her hands as yet another furious rose-tinted blush darkened her cheeks.   
  


* * *

  Despite Yuri’s insistence on switching to another topic, neither of them were able to think of anything, and the conversation drifted to an awkward silence for several minutes before Dan walked away.  
  
  Man, he thought to himself, between Yuri and Monika, it felt like the vibe in the club was freakishly off today. Was it just tension and nervousness because the festival was coming up and they had yet to even plan anything for their event? Or was it just something in the air, in general today?   
  
  Maybe Natsuki would help bring a mood back to normal, he reasoned. After all, despite her rather brutish personality, she seemed to be probably one of the most normal people in the club at the moment.  
  
  Natsuki scowled as he approached her. Thankfully, however, her sour expression softened slightly as he greeted her. The petite girl held out her hand, motioning for Dan to give her his paper.   
  
  Again, he held his breath as he watched her read the paper, making mental notes with her eyes as she scanned over every line more than once before handing it back. A small smirk appeared on the corners of her lips as she leaned back, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
  “So,” Dan asked, jokingly, “What’s the diagnosis, doc?”  
  
  “Well,” Natsuki replied, rolling her eyes “it’s not terrible. But it’s kind of disappointing after your last one. But then, if this one was as good as your first one, I’d be completely pissed.”  
  
  “Well,” Dan replied, “I guess I was trying to go for something different this time around.”  
  
  “Fair enough,” Natsuki shrugged, “You’re still new to doing different styles of poems. So, I can’t expect you to find the style that works for you right away. I mean, everyone in the club writes a little differently from each other. So, maybe you’ll find influence from all of us.”  
  
  Dan smiled, ignoring the perturbed look that the pink-haired girl was giving him. Was Natsuki actually trying to be nice? He wondered. She usually acted like he was a bug that had crawled on the table in front of her, so it was kind of off putting to see her acting so nice.   
  
  And yet, it was kind of sweet and endearing as well. After all, he usually preferred trying to see the best in people, and it was always welcoming when people allowed themselves to show the better, kinder aspects of themselves.   
  
  “Like for instance,” she continued, disdainfully, “I noticed you were spending a lot of time with Yuri, earlier.”  
  
  _And never mind_ , Dan thought to himself, _We’re back to the disliking me side of Natsuki. At least that’s normal. For here, anyways._   
  
  “Not that a care who you spend your time with,” she added, though her tone suggested she definitely cared, “I was always told not to expect anything from anybody. So, it’s not like I was waiting for you or anything.”  
  
  
  Then again, he added guiltily, feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, He had kind of ignored her today. She had probably been looking forward to talking about _Parfait Girls_ with him, but had not gotten a chance to because he had spent time reading with Yuri.   
  
  There had to be some way to make it up to her, he thought. Maybe, he figured, he could discuss the manga with Natsuki after the poetry session. He figured that Arin would probably understand about holding off on their conversation later. Hell, he thought, if anything, he could probably ask if Arin would be willing to wait a little bit, and they could probably walk home together, giving him a chance to talk to both of them.  
  
  “Still,” she continued, “You should probably at least look over my poem. You might be able to learn something from it.”  
  
  Without warning, Natsuki shoved the poem in Dan’s hands. Much like the last two poems he’d read, he couldn’t help but feel a strange, sinister aura radiating off the page as he stared down at the jumble of letters and numbers written on the page.  
  
  A flash of something sparked in his vision. He recoiled, nearly dropping the paper as he touched a burner on a hot stove. Before him, his vision swam, darkening as he saw the letters on the page fade, as new ones appeared.  
  
  The new, hidden poem was titled, “ _Open Your Third Eye_ ”.

  
  The poem seemed almost like something that Yuri would write, between the horrific imagery and descriptions. Yet, all the same, he subconsciously knew that neither Natsuki nor Yuri had written this poem. He wanted to throw up as his mind imagined the horrific, unhinged euphoria of the speaker as the knife plunged into the helpless victim, again and again staining the silver knife with shining crimson.  
  
  Quickly, he dropped the paper, desperate to look at anything else. Immediately, he regretted his decision. His vision darkened, tainted with red as he stared at Natsuki. Once again, her form had shifted.   
  
  The wriggling voids over her mouth and eyes had returned, shaking wildly as blood poured from her eye-sockets, running down her pale face like tears. Her voice, once again distorted, growled at him accusingly.   
  
  “ _ **Danny**_ ,” she cried, “ _ **Why didn’t you come read with me today?! I was waiting for you! I was waiting for a long time! It was the only thing I had to look forward to today! Why did you ruin it?!**_ ”  
  
  Dan tried to open his mouth to speak, but found his voice caught in his throat. His body felt paralyzed, unable to do anything other than watch as his fellow club mate mutated into a more demonic and twisted mimic of herself.  
  
  “ _ **Do you like Yuri more?**_ ”Natsuki demanded, **_“I think you’re better of not associating with her! Are you listening?! Yuri is a sick freak! That should be obvious by now. So, just play with me instead. Okay?_** ”  
  
  The blood streamed faster down her eyes as the twin voids that shrouded them began to move even faster, threatening to escape her face and consume the classroom beyond.   
  
  “ _ **You don’t hate me, do you Danny?**_ ” she begged, “ _ **Do you hate me?! Do you want to make me go home crying!? The Club is the only place I feel safe! Don’t ruin that for me! Please, just stop talking to Yuri! Play with me instead. It’s all I have!! Play with me….play with me. PLAY WITH ME!!!**_ ”  
  
  Suddenly, the petite girl twisted her neck. A sickening, wet crunch filled Dan’s ears, making his stomach turn as he watched the bones in her neck pop, snapping like twigs as she laughed maniacally, her head dangling uselessly against her shoulder.  
  
  Her laughter grew louder as she darted toward him crawling over the desk with the speed of a cheetah, as she pounced on him. Her now claw-like hands were bared like the talons of an eagle, soaring down to pluck an innocent fish out of the river.   
  
  With every fiber of his willpower, Dan screamed, forcing his paralyzed muscles to move, as he threw his hands up over his face to protect his eyes from the wrath of Natsuki’s claws.   
  
  Not that it would have done any good, he reasoned, as he forced his eyes shut, feeling the scratch of her nails digging into his wrist. If she was strong enough to snap her own neck, then surely she was strong enough to tear through his skin like tissue paper.  
  
  As he felt like he was going to faint, another vision flashed briefly through his mind. He wasn’t sure why, but in his vision he saw Monika, though her form was scrambled. But then, he reasoned, who ever said that someone’s dying thoughts had to make sense?  
  
  Suddenly, he felt a warmth pulse through his veins as Natsuki’s nails scratched against the bracelet’s charm. Faster than he could comprehend, he felt as flash of warmth, driving away the relentless assault of Natsuki’s claws against his body.   
  
  “ _Dan?_ ” He heard a voice asking him as he felt a pressure gently shaking his shoulder, “ _C’mon, speak to me, buddy_.”

* * *

 

  Gasping like a fish out of water, he lowered his arms, the paralysis fading into a dull, but quickly subsiding tingle. Confused and panicked, Dan’s eyes darted around the room, wanting nothing more than to bolt toward the nearest, safest hiding place he could think of.  
  
  Through his daze, he noticed that Arin was now kneeling beside him, peering at him through his glasses with a concerned look glimmering in his brown eyes. Dan sighed as he felt the other man’s hand comfortingly squeezing his should, while his other gently massaged his wrist.   
  
  Curiously, Dan glanced around the room as he slowly tried to piece things together. Everything seemed normal: Yuri was sitting at her desk, reading as usual, while Natsuki and Monika discussed their poems with each other.  
  
 _Wait…._  
  
 _No,_ Dan thought, _That’s impossible! Natsuki had snapped her own fucking neck! There’s no way that she can be just fine right now!”_  
  
  “Arin,” Dan swallowed thickly, forcing back a stream of frustrated tears, “I-I think I’m losing my fucking mind!”  
  
  Clouds of sadness darkened Arin’s eyes as his eyes met Dan’s own. Instinctively, he shifted his hands, pulling the slimmer man into a sideways hug. Gently, he stroked Dan’s arm, as the other man leaned into him, allowing himself to accept the comfort of Arin’s embrace.   
  
  “It’s gonna be alright, Dan” Arin whispered, “You’re gonna be alright.”  
  
  Slowly, Dan felt his panic subsiding, giving way to an exhaustive sleepiness as he absently snuggled deeper into the side of Arin’s chest. As a feeling of serenity and comfort filled his heart, he felt as if he had drifted away from the Literature club, lost in a rare, happy day dream.   
  
 He imagined a warm, thick blanket wrapped around his slender frame like a burrito as he huddled up on a comfortable couch, as he pulled his favorite blue knitted cap over his tangled, bushy curls. Beside him, he imagined Arin, his hair falling over his face as he snuggled up next to him under the blanket, an old video game controller in his hand.   
  
  He almost could hear them laughing, their sleep-deprived minds spouting off strange, but innocent tangents, too much absorbed in enjoying each other’s company to realize they’d forgotten about the game playing on the screen.   
  
  It felt so right, he thought to himself, as if it were something he’d experienced a thousand times before. And yet, a small part of his brain argued that it shouldn’t have felt right. He and Arin had never spent any time outside of the club with one another.   
  
  Briefly, the images in his daydream shifted, becoming hazy as he imagined himself in his own room. Beside him, another figure, this one a girl with messy, short peach hair, giggled as she sat on the floor beside his bed, fumbling with a controller as she tried to move her character on the screen.   
  
  He knew her, a small part of his brain tried to tell him. She was his childhood friend. They’d known each other ever since he’d moved next door to her when he was five. They used to walk to school together every day, he thought.   
  
  That was, he thought, until……  
  
  His blood ran cold as unwanted, nightmarish images flashed through his vision like photographs in a slide show. Distant voices echoed in his ears over a roaring sea of white noise. He could hear the girl, crying and screaming in agony as she she tried to make sense of the heavy sadness in her heart. He could hear Arin, his voice shaking as he tried to convince her that the world was not as limited as she believed.   
  
  He could hear himself, speaking things to her that his mind told him were impossible; that he couldn’t have experienced. And yet, somewhere deep in the furthest reaches of his soul, were far more true than his deceptive consciousness tried to convince him.   
  
  With a sharp gasp, he opened his eyes once more, looking at the other man holding him in his arms at that moment. For the first time he could recall, he felt as if the room seemed brighter. It was as if a dense fog he hadn’t been aware of was starting to lift. For a moment, he felt as if he were seeing the other man in a different light. Arin was not just a transfer student who happened to be in the Literature Club with him, he thought, but was truly something else, entirely.   
  
  But, what the other man truly was was not something that Dan could figure out, as that no sooner had it happened, did the moment fade, frustratingly slipping out of his hands like grains of fine ash through his fingers, leaving only the dusty, metaphorical remnants of powder and confused feelings behind as an assurance of his sanity.  
  
  “Hey,” Arin said gently, snapping him back to reality, “Dude, you dozed off there for a second. You alright?”  
  
  “I-I think” Dan stammered breathlessly, “I just remembered something for a second.”  
  
  Dan felt the other man’s grip slack, his arm hovering behind him as his expression changed. It was as if the other man had seen a ghost, as his handsome smile faded as his normally round, friendly features seemed to harden, making him seem far older than he should have. His face paled, as something sharp and cold flashed in his brown eyes.   
  
  “What did you remember?” Arin asked, his voice stern, though shaking, as he stared off into the distance, seemingly afraid to make eye contact with the curly haired man.  
  
  Dan heaved a ragged shy as he opened his mouth, finding his voice unable to escape his throat. Why did he so afraid to answer such a simple question? It wasn’t like someone was going to punish him. Arin didn’t even sound like he was upset or angry with him.   
  
  However, as he opened his mouth to speak, Monika approached the desk. Her emerald eyes glimmered with dangerous fire, though her smile and demeanor remained as typically sweet and friendly as always, as she shot a warning look toward Arin before talking  
  
  “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Monika winked slyly.  
  
  “A-ah!” Arin stammered, blushing as he quickly dropped his hands to his sides, “N-no. It’s just that Dan was feeling a little stressed, and I was just trying to make him calm down a bit.”  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Dan nodded, “That’s all.”  
  
  “Good,” Monika giggled, “I wasn’t accusing you of anything suspicious! It’s just we still have some stuff we have to discuss before the meetings over, so we don’t really have a lot of time left to finish sharing each other’s poems.”  
  
  “R-right,” Arin nodded, “Sorry.”  
  
  Monika walked away, leaving the two once more alone. A dark look crossed Arin’s face as he frowned, watching the Club President sit back down at her desk, her gaze focused on them, patiently waiting for them to continue their poetry sharing session.  
  
  “I guess we gotta share our poems with each other now,” Arin sighed.  
  
  Dan nodded, feeling a bit lighter and more relaxed as he and Arin exchanged poems. Knowing that they didn’t have a whole lot of time left before the end of the session, the two had silently agreed to read each other’s poems at the same time. Though, granted, this wasn’t really any different than last time’s poetry session.  
  
  Arin’s poem seemed fairly innocent enough, entitled “ _Winter_ ”.   
  
_-Winter-_  
  
 _ **D** eciding to venture into the **O** utside on a snowy winters evening, we went._  
  
 _ **N** ature lay in wait, unmoving and silent in the otherworldly stillness, waiting for something greater than us._  
  
 _ **T** rees, gnarled branches bare and twisted, reach for us, their hands hardened by the cold of the unforgiving spell of the **T** undra._  
  
 _ **R** ibbons of fragile ice,  **U** nfrozen by the meager sun, dangle from the branches like charms on a bracelet._  
  
 _ **S** topping, we catch a stray droplet, falling from the smooth glass shard._  
  
 _ **T** he bead rolls down our fingers, completing its inevitable journey to the ground it was always meant to touch._  
  
 _ **H** ere we are, caught in a moment outside of time . **E** verything for a brief moment seems perfect, even in the freezing cold._  
  
  
 _ **R** emember this moment._  
  
  
  Admittedly, Dan thought that the poem sounded a more along Yuri’s usual style of poems. Though it didn’t give him the same sense of bone-chilling dread and terror the girl’s poems had given him, he still couldn’t help but feel that there was something a bit off. Perhaps it was the unusual way that Arin had capitalized certain letters, or the strange grammatical choices that he chose.   
  
  “Wow,” Arin said, as he finished reading Dan’s poem, “This is great! I love that you’re doing a little more with metaphors and imagery, but still managing to keep it with your own distinct voice.”  
  
  “Thanks,” Dan nodded, “I was kind of wanting to experiment with my style a bit. I’m glad that you think it’s still got my voice, though. I was a little worried that it was gonna sound a little too much like Yuri’s or something.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin agreed, “I get what you mean about worrying about sounding too much like someone else. I mean, I guess I was kind of experimenting with a different style this time around, too. I mean, I was kind of worried that this was gonna read like something Monika wrote or something. Not that that’s a bad thing. I mean, she is a pretty good writer.”  
  
  “Monika?” Dan quirked an incredulous eyebrow, “That’s kind of a weird. I mean, if anything, it kind of more had Yuri’s imagery and style going on than it did Monika’s.”  
  
  “Maybe,” Arin sighed to himself, before continuing, “But, like Monika’s style is kind of abstract, y’know? Like, a lot of her poems are more about the syntax and playing with the visual appearance of poems for effect. I thought it sounded cool, and I wanted to try it.”  
  
  “Oh,” Dan asked, thinking, “So, that’s what the weird capitalization and shit was all about? It’s like, that changing up small bits of how the poem looks can like change how the poem’s interpreted?”  
  
  “Or create a completely separate message,” Arin added, “From the one that’s being presented in the poem itself.”  
  
  Dan fell silent, lost in thought as he looked back over the poem once more. In the context of their discussion, it was like reading the poem in a completely different light. Suddenly, the random capitalization and awkward grammar choices didn’t seem quite as random, albeit still awkward.  
  
  As he carefully scoured over the poem for a third time, this time copying down each capital letter onto a separate sheet of paper in his notebook, he felt an uncomfortable chill once more creeping up his spine.  
  
  The letters in the poem had spelt out the messaged: “ _DON’T TRUST HER_ ”.  
  
  His eyes wide with confusion and alarm as he looked up at the other man. What did Arin mean by this? He wondered. Who was the other man warning him to be careful about?  
  
  Was it Yuri? That seemed like the most obvious choice, he reasoned, given that she had been acting a bit over-excitable lately.  
  
  Or was it Natsuki? Granted, it seemed like Arin probably knew her better than he did, and at least seemed to be on friendly terms with her. But, was there maybe some dark secret that she had confided with Arin about that Dan did not know?  
  
  Or was the warning meant to be about Monika? That didn’t seem that likely, he reasoned. After all, his own personal weirdness aside, Monika seemed like one of the more sane and mature members of the club. It wasn’t likely that she’d do something that seriously betray the trust of one of her fellow club members, right?  
  
  But then, Dan thought back to the fight Arin and Monika had had the other day. Had that fight maybe been about more than just making fun of Natsuki’s manga? Was there secretly some side of the Club President that she kept hidden beneath her confident personality and charming smile?  
  
  However, before either man had a chance to talk more, Monika’s voice rang clearly throughout the room, signaling the end of the poetry session for today.

* * *

 

  “Okay, everyone!” Monika said cheefully, “I think we’re done sharing our poems with everyone today. However, we still have some important business to discuss, so I’d like everyone to come to the front of the classroom, please.”  
  
  Muttering darkly under his breath, Arin shot an apologetic glance at Dan before reluctantly dragging himself out of his seat and moving to the front of the classroom. His mind still abuzz, Dan followed him, taking a seat between Yuri and Natsuki,  
  
  “Is this about the festival?” Natsuki asked, folding her arms across her chest.  
  
  “Well,” Monika giggled, “Sort of.”  
  
  “Ugh,” the petite girl groaned, petulantly slumping down in her chair, “Why do we have to do anything for the festival? It’s not like we can put together something good in just a few days. We’re just going to end up embarrassing ourselves, and we’ll never get new members.”  
  
  “I’m a little concerned,” Yuri agreed with Natsuki, “About the last minute part. I don’t really do well with last minute preparations.”  
  
  “Don’t worry so much!” Monika reassured them, unfazed by her two companion’s doubt, “We’re going to keep it simple, okay? Look, I know that everyone’s been a little more lively since Danny joined, and we started doing a few more club activities. But this isn’t the time for us to become complacent. We still only have a few members. And the festival is really our chance to find more, y’know?”  
  
  “Besides,” Arin agreed, “Even if we embarrass ourselves, I’m sure that there’s probably gonna be one or two people that’ll still find us genuinely interesting. I mean, everything almost always manages to find some audience.”  
  
  Natsuki frowned, crossing her arms, not even slightly convinced by either of her club mates’ optimism.   
  
  “What’s so great about getting new members, anyways?” the petite girl huffed, “We already have enough to be considered an official club. More members will just mean everything gets noisier, and more difficult to manage.”  
  
  Monika frowned, disappointed to hear the other girl’s reluctance to accept any potential members.   
  
  “Natsuki,” Monika said sternly, “I don’t think you’re looking at it the right way, at all. Don’t you want to share your passion with as many people as you can? To inspire them to find the same feelings that brought you here in the first place? The Literature Club should be a place were people can express themselves, like they can’t do anywhere else. It should be a place so intimate that you never want to leave.”  
  
  Dan and Arin exchanged looks with one another, arching their eyebrows as the last of Monika’s words hung in the air. As always, there was something weird about the almost ominous tone she brought to innocent phrases, Dan thought to himself. It was actually a bit troubling, when he thought about it.   
  
  “I know you feel that way, too,” Monika continued, smiling, “I know we all do. So, that’s why we should work hard to put together something for the festival, even if it’s something small! Right, Danny?”  
  
  Dan nodded in agreement, feeling Monika’s sparkling eyes baring down on upon him, hopeful that he would agree with her. Admittedly, given the strangeness with the club that had been wrecking havoc on his mental state, he wasn’t really sure if adding a new member so soon would be are very good idea. If everyone had gotten this excitable and thrown off by one new member, what was it going to be like if they had two or three members join before things had settled down a bit?  
  
  “Oh come on,” Natsuki scowled, putting her hands on her hips, “You can’t just take advantage of Danny, just because he’s too nice and doesn’t know how to say no to anything.”  
  
  Before Dan could open his mouth to defend himself, Natsuki continued, glaring sharply at Monika. Even the normally unshakable Club President seemed taken aback by the fierce fire that sparked in the pink-haired girl’s rose-colored eye.   
  
  “Do you really think,” Natsuki said sharply, “that any of us joined this club with other people in mind? Yuri never even talked until Danny joined. And, Arin was always late for meetings so much, that it was like he wasn’t really even in the club until Danny started showing up.  As for me? I just like it better here than I do at home.”  
  
  Dan squirmed, shrinking into his seat as her laser-like gaze fell on him. Silently, he wished that he could just sink through the floor, completely ignored by the petite girl and the others. The last time that his name had gotten brought into an argument, he reminded himself, it had ended with Natsuki running out of the room crying, and Yuri being on the edge of a breakdown.  
  
  “And,” Natsuki added, “Danny isn’t even passionate about literature in the first place. So, sorry if you’re the only one who’s interested in finding new members. The rest of us are fine like this. I know you’re President and all, but you should really consider our opinions, for once.”  
  
  Monika frowned, clearly taken aback by Natsuki’s words, as a stunned silence fell over the room. For a moment, it was all the Club President could do to try to maintain her calm, neutral mask as she scrambled to find the words to say. Meanwhile, Arin looked between Natsuki and Monika, his eyes wide as he, too, seemed uncertain whether he should step in and say something.  
  
  “Um…Natsuki,” Arin began,”I get why you’re upset. But, I really don’t think---”  
  
  However, his sentence was cut short as Monika interrupted, sighing.  
  
  “That’s not true at all,” Monika replied, “I’m sure that Danny, Arin and Yuri want to find new members, too. Right?”  
  
  Yuri stared down at the floor, absently playing with her hair as she tried to avoid eye-contact with Monika, as if she were afraid of bursting into flames if she looked at her.  
  
 Dan couldn’t help but feel a stab of pity for  Natsuki and Yuri While he understood Monika’s desire to expand the club into something on par with the larger clubs, he could still sort of understand their reluctance on the matter.  
  
  As she likely saw it, the small size of the club made it more intimate. It was easier to think of each other as friends, rather than just fellow club mates. With more people in the club, it was likely that the original members would start to drift apart as they found other people who had more similar interests as them. Were they  afraid that she’d be forgotten about and ignored as all of her friends drifted away from her?   
  
 Helplessly, he looked at Arin, silently hoping the other man could help him find the right words to say to settle the situation. However, the other man only sighed, also finding himself at a loss for words at the moment.  
  
 _I guess it’s up to me to say something_ , Dan thought to himself as he opened his mouth to speak.  
  
  “Um….” he began.  
  
  “No,” Monika interrupted him, “Natsuki is right, isn’t she? This club---it’s nothing more than a place for a few people to hang out.”  
  
  Again, Monika sighed dejectedly, as she folded her arms to her side, struggling to keep herself to appear as calm and professional. It was strange, Dan remarked, to see the usually confident Monika looking so sad. Even her eyes seemed faded, having lost a little bit of that brilliant spark behind them.  
  
  “Why did I think,” she asked, mostly to herself, “That everyone saw it the same way I did?”  
  
  Another pang of guilt and regret stabbed at Dan’s heart like a knife. Part of him just wanted to give Monika a hug. Then again, he reasoned, he didn’t know her well enough to know if she would have been comfortable with physical contact. At the very least, he told himself, he could assure her that everything wasn’t as bad as it seemed.  
  
 “Hey now,” Dan said, “That might be the case, but that doesn’t mean that we’re opposed to finding new members.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin chimed in, “I mean, just ‘cause it’s a place to hang out, doesn’t mean that it can’t also be a place where people are passionate about literature, too.”  
  
  “Danny,” Monika asked, her eyes focused on him, “Why did you join this club? What were you hoping to get out of it?”  
  
  Dan sighed. While he did have a passion and interest for literature, he couldn’t say that he had joined the club solely because of that. To be honest, the prospect of getting to spend time with group of beautiful, interesting people, and possibly getting closer with one of them had also attracted him to the club.   
  
  “Well,” Dan began, “I---”  
  
  “Monika,” Arin spoke up, “I hope you don’t mind me interrupting, but, I really don’t think that the reasons that everyone joined this club are really relevant---”  
  
  “You and Arin weren’t really given a choice to join,” Monika continued, ignoring Arin, “We’re you? I mean, Arin might have had a bit more of a choice. But you, Danny? What’s the point of all this, anyways? What if starting the club was a mistake?”  
  
  Her words hung heavy in the air as she sat back down, resting her head in her hands dejectedly. The remaining club members stared at each other in shock, none of them able to fully process what had just happened.  
  
  The stress of the past few days must have really been getting to everyone, Dan thought to himself.   
  
  Yuri was the first to break the awkward silence, glaring sharply at Natsuki.  
  
  “Now you’ve done it, Natsuki,” She said.  
  
  Natsuki growled, gritting her teeth as she clenched her fists tightly at her side, as if she were ready to knock Yuri’s head off at a moment’s notice.   
  
  “What?!” Natsuki replied defensively, “Me?! I just spoke my mind. Is it a crime to be honest?”  
  
  “It’s not about being honest,” Yuri pointed out, “It’s about word choice. Besides, you had no right to speak for everyone in the club like that.”  
  
  “You don’t understand at all,” Natsuki snapped, crossing her arms, “I just want a place that’s nice to hang out with a few friends, is all. Is it really a bad thing if the club is that for me?”  
  
  The petite girl’s voice cracked as tears began welling up in the corner of her eyes. Hastily, she tried to wipe away the tears before they could break free, revealing to the others that she was indeed capable of emotions other than anger and annoyance.  
  
  “There aren’t,” Natsuki sniffed, “There aren’t many places like that for me. And now, Monika wants to take that away from me.”  
  
  “Natsuki,” Arin began gently, “Even if the club grows, that doesn’t mean that this can’t still be a place for you to feel safe. As long as we’re here, were all still friends, right? And as long as we’re friends, you’ll always have a safe space with us.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan agreed, “Monika’s not taking anything away---  
  
  Although the pink haired girl paused, seeming to listen to the two men’s gentle reassurances, she frowned. A frustrated growl escaped her lips as she shook her head furiously, not entirely convinced.  
  
  “--No, Danny,” she said finally, “It’s not the same! It won’t be the same with the direction she wants to take it in. If I wanted that, I could have just joined any other stupid club! But this one? I mean…at least for a little bit of time, things were nice.”  
  
  With another frustrated growl, Natsuki started packing her things, quickly shoving her books in her backpack as she stormed toward the door. Arin hovered nervously, torn between wanting to run after her again, to comfort her, or giving her a little bit of space this time.   
  
  “I’m going home,” she called out over her shoulder before disappearing through the doorway, “I feel like….I feel like I don’t belong here right now.”  
  
  “Natsuki!” Yuri called out after her, even though the pink haired girl was already far out of earshot before the words had even escaped her lips.  
  
  Nervously, the purple haired girl fidgeted with her hair, frantically twisting it between her fingers as she cast a nervous look between the door and the other two remaining club members.  
  
  “This,” she breathed, “is bad. Really bad.”  
  
  “Yeah,” Arin agreed, “This isn’t normal.”  
  
  “I don’t know what to do,” Yuri said, mostly to herself.  
  
  “Well,” Dan asked, hoping to ease the situation, “Do you have an opinion on the festival?”  
  
  Yuri blushed, rocking on her heels of her shoes as she stared down at the floor, as if something more interesting was laying on the floor beside her that had gotten her attention. Several seconds passed in awkward silence as Yuri thought to herself.   
  
  “I-I don’t know,” she mumbled, “I’m kind of indifferent, I guess.”  
  
  Without warning, something shifted in Dan’s vision. It felt as if he’d stepped outside of himself, and was now floating in some void. In front of him, he could see Yuri. Half of her face flickered, seeming to have broken off in a scramble of blues and reds, while her remaining eye was wide, the pupils almost invisible in the purple irises.  
 Was he inside Yuri’s thoughts? he wondered vaguely. Once more, the demonic voice that had spoken so many times that day, now whispered once more, echoing all around him.  
  
  “ _ **Who cares about that obnoxious brat**_ \---?” Not-Yuri’s voice sneered.  
  
Suddenly, Dan blinked, finding himself back in the classroom, once again as if nothing had happened.   
  
  “---I mean,” Yuri continued, “I like how nice and quiet things are in the club now. I’m just happy with you here, Danny. But still, I’m the Vice President, It’s not right for me to ignore my responsibilities like that.”  
  
  “-- _ **Nobody would cry if she just killed self**_.” Not Yuri interrupted, as if also continuing a different conversation with Dan.  
  
  “ _ **Everybody would cry. Everyone would care.**_ ” Arin’s own, distorted inner voice replied.  
  
  A soft, sickening squish echoed as Yuri’s good eye twitched. A thin trickle of blood began dripping down from her eyes, streaming down her cheek, unchecked and unnoticed by Yuri herself.  
  
  Alarmed, Dan exchanged a look with Arin. Once more, a dark, troubled look overcame the other man’s face as he folded his arms across himself, staring down at his chest, seemingly lost deep in thought.   
  
  Surely, he thought, Arin saw this too, right? He couldn’t be the only one who was seeing all this?  
  
  “I should do my best,” Yuri continued, “to consider everyone’s perspectives and make the right decisions for the club. But what about you, Danny? What do you want to get out of this club?”  
  
  Dan shuffled nervously, as Yuri repeated the same question Monika had posed to him. How was he supposed to answer that, he wondered, when even he wasn’t entirely sure what he wanted out of the club? But, he couldn’t just tell her that, could he? It’d probably be better to give an indirect answer, he reasoned.   
  
  “Well,” Dan began, “I think the most important thing is for everyone to get along, and for the club to provide something you can’t get anywhere else.”  
  
  Arin muttered something snarky under his breath, before pretending to cough. However, Yuri seemed almost to go out of her way to ignore the other man’s presence as her eyes looked directly at Dan, silently studying every inch of him like he were an interesting book she was in the middle of reading.  
  
“I don’t think it’s about how many members we have,” Dan continued, “But the quality of each member. That’s what’ll end up making the Literature Club a special place.”  
  
  “I see,” Yuri smiled softly at him, “I really agree with you. Each member contributes their own qualities to this club in a special way. With each change in members, the identity of the club changes as well. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Stepping outside of your comfort zone everyone once in a while, I mean. So, if you would like to help Monika with the festival, then I’m on your side about the festival as well.”  
  
  “Cool,” Dan smiled, relief washing over him, “What about you, Arin?”  
  
  “I don’t see the problem,” Arin shrugged, “Maybe we can all talk to Natsuki about it, tomorrow. Maybe once she’s gotten a chance to sleep on it, she’ll come around, y’know?”  
  
  Yuri nodded. A brief moment passed in awkward silence a the trio tried to think of something else to talk about. However, they were saved as Monika approached them. Although her expression seemed slightly tired, a faint spark of the glimmer behind her eyes had reignited.   
  
  “Hey, Arin? Yuri?” she asked tepidly, “I know things were a little awkward yesterday, but I feel like you deserve to know that I think you’re a wonderful Vice President, Yuri. And that I think that both of you are wonderful friends.”  
  
  Arin and Yuri looked at each other, both unsure of how to take Monika’s compliments. Yuri blushed, clasping her hands in front of her chest as she smiled softly. Meanwhile, Arin still looked mildly on edge, cautiously eyeing the Club President. However, the faint smirk that twitched on the corners of his lips suggested that he secretly accepted her compliment as sincere.  
  
  “I want to do everything I can to make this best club, ever,” Monika explained, “Okay?”  
  
  “M-me too,” Yuri agreed.  
  
  “Y-yeah,” Arin nodded, “Sure.”  
  
  “Let’s all go home for today,” Monika sighed, finally, “We’ll talk about the festival tomorrow.”   
  
  “Okay,” Yuri nodded, already sliding up beside Dan, wrapping her arm around his, “Shall we go, Danny?”  
  
  “W-wait a second,” Arin stammered quickly, “Um, Yuri? Would it be okay if I walked home with you guys? I kind of have something a bit important I need to talk to Dan about.”  
  
  Yuri glared, instinctively scooting closer to Dan, like a protective lioness guarding her young from attack. A feverish flash danced once more in her purple eyes, as she almost snarled at the larger man with a beast-like growl, before switching back to her usual, timid persona.  
  
  However, Monika managed to speak before Yuri had a chance to.  
  
  “Um,” she began, “Why don’t you two go on ahead? Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m going to chat with Danny for a little bit before we leave. Just to see what he thinks of his time here and all. It’s important to me as President.”  
  
  Arin looked nervous, his eyes darting between Dan and Monika, unwilling to let Dan go so easily, but also understanding that it was probably just as important that she talk to him as he did. Yuri, similarly seemed reluctant to leave, even as she released her grip around his arm.   
  
  However, another expression crossed her face for a fraction of a second, almost missed as Dan blinked. Had he seen fear written across her face, he wondered? What was she afraid of? Was she afraid of what Monika would say or do if she told her no?  
  
  “Well,” Yuri said finally, “Okay. I trust your judgement, Monika. In any case, I’ll see you tomorrow, Danny.”  
  
  Now, Monika’s gaze fell on Arin, patiently waiting for him to leave. Nervously, Arin rubbed his elbow, hugging himself, as he stared down at the floor beside him. Moments passed in tense, expectant silence as Arin seemed to be listening to something that only he could hear, before speaking.  
  
  “Uh,” he finally said, “I know that this’ll probably take a while, but I’ll just wait for you outside, if you still want to walk home together. In any case, just yell if you need me, okay?”  
  
  “See you tomorrow!” Monika waved to him as he left.  
  
  Monika breathed a silent sigh of relief as she watched the figure of the larger man disappear through the door, leaving her and Dan as the only two people still left in the classroom.   
  
  This was odd, Dan thought to himself as he fidgeted nervously, suddenly very painfully aware of his hands, as Monika smiled at him. In the couple of days that he’d actually been in the club, he couldn’t recall having a moment where the two of them were actually alone. Sure, there had been the first day in the classroom, when Monika had convinced him to check out the club, but that barely counted, since he wasn’t yet a member of the club at that point.   
  
  “Phew,” Monika sighed, “Things have been a little hectic around here, lately, haven’t they?”  
  
  _Understatement of the fucking century_ , Dan scoffed to himself. To say that things had been “a little hectic” would be like saying that being in a burning building felt “a little warm”. It seemed like of the three days that he’d been in the club, two of them had ended with everyone upset and Natsuki running out of the room in tears.  
  
  “Danny,” Monika continued, “I just wanted to make sure you’re enjoying your time in this club. I would really hate to see you unhappy.”  
  
  Dan smiled bashfully, as he rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly shuffling his feet in place against the floor. While it was nice that someone as kind-hearted and beautiful as Monika was being considerate of his feelings, he couldn’t help but wonder if he should maybe tell her about the strange hallucinations and the weird vibes he’d been feeling ever since he’d joined.   
  
  No, he argued, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to bring those up right now. After all, she was probably still somewhat upset over the possiblity that not everyone in the club was truly as enthusiastic about growing the club into to something special as she had hoped.   
  
  “I kind of feel like I’m responsible for that, as President.” she said, “And, I really do care about you, you know? I don’t like seeing the others give you a hard time--- With Natsuki being how mean she is and everything, and Yuri being a bit….you know. And Arin giving you mixed signals and everything….”  
  
  Monika laughed, as she folded her arms behind her back, leaning closer to Dan. Her laugh seemed almost to echo in the stillness of the clubroom.In the distance, he could have sworn he heard a muffled pounding on the door, and a voice calling out his name, but the sound was drowned as all of his senses were drawn to Monika.  
  
   Around them, it felt as if the room itself was starting to get darker, as if they were the only two beings left in existence. Did the classroom have motion sensor lights and they had just been standing still for too long? He wondered vaguely.   
  
  No, he thought, even if that were the case, the room shouldn’t have been as dark as if it were the middle of the night. After all, it was only still afternoon, he thought. The sun was only just starting to set, by now.  
  
  “Sometimes,” Monika confessed, “it feels like you and I are the only real people here. You know what I mean?”  
  
  Dan nodded, although he wasn’t entirely sure what she did mean. Her statement felt almost too literal, he thought, and yet still felt as if she were saying far more than what she meant. Of course, he tried to reason, she didn’t actually mean that they were literally the only actual humans in the club. It was more of a figure of speech than anything else.  
  
  “It’s kind of weird,” Monika continued, “Because in all the time you’ve spent here, we’ve hardly gotten to spend any time together.”  
  
  Monika blushed, sheepishly staring at the floor as she pressed her hand against her burning cheeks.   
  
  “Ah…I mean,” she giggled, “I guess it’s technically only been a couple days. Sorry! I didn’t mean to say something weird. There are just some things that I’d been hoping to talk about with you. Things I know that only you could understand. I mean, I suppose that Arin as been trying to talk to you about some of those same things….but, I worry that he might give you the wrong impression of things. So that’s why----”  
  
  Slowly, the creeping darkness that had veiled the room, crept over them, shrouding his eyes as they were plunged into the infinite darkness that haunted his nightmares. Monika, too seemed to have noticed this, as her smile faded, her green eyes wide with panic as she frantically looked around the rapidly fading room.   
  
  “W-wait!” Monika cried, “N-not yet!!!”  
  
  What was happening?! he wondered, his heart beating in his chest, drowning out all his other senses. Was he dying?  Somewhere in the distance, he heard the soft thud of a door. A large shape---Arin?---burst into the room, frantic as he once more called out Dan’s name.  
  
  Arin paused as he and Monika exchanged panicked, terrified looks with one another. However, Dan did not see this as the last trendils or darkness snaked across his vision, pulling him down into the depths of the endless sea of blackness below him.  
  
  Slowly, his hearing, too, began to fade, only catching muffled snippets of Arin and Monika’s conversation with each other. It was as if he were listening to a staticy audio podcast on a computer with a terrible internet signal, through a pair of headphones that were constantly on the verge of cutting out.  
  
 It was strange, he thought just as the silence overtook him,  but he could have sworn that the Club President’s voice sounded different. For once, terrified and lacking the calm, authority she typically conducted meetings with.  
  
  “ _What did you_ \---?!”  
  
 _“---Not…..I-I didn’t!”_  
  
 _“---Who?”_  
  
 _“.… **Me**.”_  
  
  A chilling, feminine laugh echoed through Dan’s mind, ringing like a bell as his eyes shot open, pure, unbridled panic and terror pumping through his veins like blood, animating his limps as he lurched forward, sitting up in bed, a cold sweat covering his body.   
  
  Gasping ragged breaths, his senses slowly started to calm, allowing him make sense of his surroundings. Once more, he was in his room, laying on his bed. Yuri’s book lay haphazardly on the floor, having fallen on top of Yuri’s manga, presumably slipping out of his hands while he dozed off.   
  
_Was I dreaming again_?! Dan wondered, his hands shaking as ran his fingers through his tangled mess of untamed curls.  
  
  No, he told himself sternly, shaking his head as he crawled out of bed toward his desk. It wasn’t a dream. If there was one thing he was absolutely sure of , it was that, whatever had happened, it wasn’t a dream. Even if every part of his brain tried to assure him that it had been just the product of an overactive imagination, in his heart he knew that it had actually happened.  
  
  Something strange was going on behind the Literature Club, it’s members, and maybe even the universe itself. And, he intended to investigate further, he determined, hopefully finding a way to end these terrible nightmares haunting him once and for all and return the club to normal.   
  
  But first, he reminded himself as he sat down at his desk, he still had another poem to write.

 


	12. BONUS: Special Poem 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's the last special poem! I hope that you've all found these little special chapters to be interesting! Hope you enjoy! :) (Though, I'm thinking I might possibly post the uncensored versions of the special poems as their own extra chapter once the fic is over with, since by that point there won't really be any spoilers.)

_(The third and final secret poem appears to be another journal entry, again following the previous two. However, this also appears to be a letter as well.)_   
  
_Dan,_   
  
_I hope that I’m not too late, and I hope that you’re able to see this._   
  
_Listen---things are a lot worse and way more messed up than either of us could have imagined._   
  
_I was right about the book, dude. It’s connected to something way more evil and fucked up than any of us could have thought, and has a lot more influence over this world than it should... Everything that happened in the book was a clue. I can’t explain it here, but I’m urging you: **BE CAREFUL!** _   
  
_It’s already affected **[XXXXXX]** and I think it’s been using her to slowly get to the rest of them. It might have already affected you, too. That’s why it messed with your memories, that’s why you’ve been seeing all these weird things. _   
  
_I know that part of you still remembers. Part of you wants to remember. That’s why you’re still you._   
  
_You have to fight this._   
  
_You have to wake up and remember._   
  
_I can’t lose you!_   
  
_We have to end this nightmare!_


	13. Love Letters in Crimson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Halloween, and thanks to everyone for continuing to read and leave feedback on this fic so far! I greatly appreciate it and I hope that you’ll continue to enjoy! Just an advanced warning, this chapter contains imagery of self harm and death, and some references to sexual themes. Please use caution while reading this chapter. Thanks!

  The rest of school the next day might as well not have happened, for as little as Dan was truly paying attention to the teachers’ usual lessons. Like a spike being drilled into his head with a jackhammer, thoughts and questions about the events of yesterday played in his mind, driving away most other thoughts within him at the moment.  
  
  Who was Arin warning him about? He wondered for what it felt like the hundredth time that day. The more he thought about it, the more and more it seemed like the other man might have been talking about Monika.   
  
  Monika and Arin’s relationship did seem kind of turbulent, at best. It seemed almost like at the flip of a coin, the two would go from deeply loathing each other, to somewhat being on friendly terms. If he were in any sort of other mindset at the moment, he would have likened them to either begrudging rivals that had been forced to work together, or even exes that were still trying to be friends, despite the bitterness of their breakup.   
  
  Sometimes it felt as if Arin saw the Club President as two different people. On one side, there was the Monika the Club President, whom he didn’t necessarily like or agree with, nor did she like or agree with him. On the other, there was the Monika that was the normal high school student, who, like the others, wanted the Literature Club to be a place to make new friends, and who saw the others more as actual friends than members of the club.  
  
  Perhaps there was a part of the other man that sympathized with her. There was part of him that understood the difficulty of balancing her role as Club President with her role as a friend.   
  
  Or maybe it went a little deeper, Dan thought. Maybe the other man realized that Monika was not as perfect and flawless as she liked everyone to believe. Maybe, because he transferred from another school, he lacked the preconceived notions and assumptions about her that the others had. And maybe there was a bit of him that, despite his frustration with her, felt a bit of sympathy, if not outright pity, for her.  
  
  Whatever the case, Dan thought, the nature of his fellow club members relationships wasn’t something that ranked very high on his list of concerns, when compared to the very real possibility that the Club could actually be haunted. Or at the very least, it was likely that something was chipping away at his sanity like a chisel tearing away at stone.  
  
  Arin and Monika both knew something, that much was sure. And, as it was going, Dan wasn’t sure that he could really afford to continue to ignore his visions, and carry on as if everything were absolutely fine. What if one of his hallucinations turned out to be real? What if this time, instead of imagining that Natsuki snapped her neck, what if something actually did happen to her, or to Yuri, Monika or Arin? What if something bad happened to him this time?  
  
  Yet, all the same, he figured that it’d be a smarter move to be a bit more subtle and tactful in his approach. Both Monika and Arin seemed a somewhat hesitant to directly talk about what they knew, and he understood that whatever it was they wanted to tell him, it was their decision.    
  
  As much as he was desperate for answers, he also respected them enough to not force themselves in a situation they weren’t entirely ready for or comfortable with, just yet. But then, he reasoned, it’s kind of difficult to actually open up a discussion if one didn’t present an opportunity for it.   
  
  Maybe after the meeting today would be a good time to bring it up, he reasoned. That was, he added, unless something happened and, for the third day in a row, the Literature Club meeting ended with everyone crying and storming off from the classroom in sour moods, unwilling to talk with one another. But surely, he figured, that couldn’t happen three days in a row, right?  
  
  He barely even felt like he’d entered the club room, when he felt Yuri’s wide, feverish eyes burning into his flesh, staring hungrily at him like a wolf over the body of a wounded deer. The usually shy club member seemed almost as if she’d been replaced by another person as she glided over toward him, quickly latching her arm around him as she pulled him into the classroom.   
  
  He shuddered, feeling his face grow warm as the purple haired girl nuzzled herself deeper into his arm, almost seeming as if she were determined to snap him like a twig with the pressure of her body alone. What was with her, today? He wondered. Sure, he reasoned, she did seem a little off yesterday, but today seemed especially unusual.  
  
  “Hi, Danny!” she breathed, giggling nervously, “I’ve been waiting for you! Are you ready to continue reading? I even brought my best tea, today!”  
  
  “Um, Yuri.…” Dan stammered, gently prying her away from him, despite her reluctance, “B-before we do that, I kinda of need to talk to y----”  
  
  “---Monika!” Natsuki growled as she stormed out of the classroom closet, her eyes flaring with a deadly pink firestorm as she searched around the room for the  Club President, “I told you not to----”  
  
  The petite girl paused, noticing that the subject of her current ire was not present in the room at that moment. For the first time in a couple minutes, Dan, too, was finally able to take stock of them members currently present in the club. In addition to Yuri and Natsuki, it seemed that Arin was the only other member present at the moment.   
  
  But even then, it seemed as if the other man didn’t truly want to be there. He hovered by the window, his arms folded and his muscles tense as his deep brown eyes were trained on the door, glaring with an unreadable expression. It was as if he were expecting the building itself to catch fire at a moments notice, prompting him to spring into action.   
  
  The afternoon sun streamed down, catching his glasses with a sharp glare, obscuring his eyes in such a way that made the man’s normally gentle, bearded face seem almost terrifying and otherworldly to Dan.   
  
  “Ugh,” Natsuki rolled her eyes, ignoring the other man, “Is she really late again?”  
  
  Before either Arin or Dan had a chance to open their mouths to respond, Yuri growled under her breath. Protectively, she stepped closer to Dan, loosely slipping her arm around his once more, as if she were afraid that Natsuki would steal him from her if she weren’t holding onto him at that very second.  
  
  From the window, Arin’s head whipped toward the two, gripping the window ledge, leaning forward as he dug the heels of his shoes into the floor, as if trying to restrain himself from darting across the room and pushing Dan away from her.  
  
  “Inconsiderate as usual, Natsuki,” Yuri snapped, much to everyone’s surprise, “Must you always interrupt my conversations with you’re incessant yelling?”  
  
  Natsuki quirked an eyebrow, firmly placing her hands on her hips as she squared herself up to the much taller purple haired girl. Was Yuri really looking to start a fight with Natsuki this early into the meeting? Dan wondered. Or was she actually that upset about being interrupted in the middle of a conversation.  
  
  “What are you talking about?!” Natsuki asked, “Yuri, you’re acting like I do that all the time. It was just an accident, alright? I’m sorry. Geez, what’s with you today?”  
  
  “Seriously,” Arin agreed, sighing as he stepped next to Natsuki, “Is everything alright? You really haven’t been acting like yourself, lately. Do you want to talk about it?”  
  
  “I-I’m fine,” Yuri laughed nervously, though the breathlessness in her voice suggested otherwise. Briefly, her eyes narrowed as she glared at the tall man, silently warning him not to cause any further interruptions between her and Danny, lest he desired to incur her deadly wrath.

  Despite the glimmer of reluctance shimmering in Arin’s expression, the other man backed down, his shoulder’s slumped, sighing defeatedly as he adjusted his glasses. Meanwhile, Natsuki shot a perplexed look between her fellow classmates, wondering if there was something she was missing.  
  
  However, this passed as she crossed her arms, crossing her arms as she shook her head. Whatever had gotten into her fellow classmates wasn’t any of her concern, she reasoned, and she had very little time or patience for it.  
  
  “Whatever,” Natsuki continued, “Look---I did a little thinking about yesterday. And, I might have come off a little more hostile than I meant to. I guess I really felt a bit threatened or something.”

  
  Natsuki chuckled weakly, nervously rubbing her arm as she bashfully stared down at the floor before continuing. For a moment, the pink haired girl’s sour personality had faded, revealing a vulnerable, more innocent side to her that Dan could only recall actually seeing only a couple times before.    
  
  “But,” she continued softly, “I realize that this is something we’re doing together. And, I guess another new member wouldn’t hurt. Especially if we got another girl in the Club. Y’know, as long as they’re cool and everything. So----”  
  
  “Natsuki,” Yuri cut her off, her voice cold and distorted, “ _ **Nobody cares. Why don’t you just go look for some change under the vending machine or something?**_ ”  
  
  _Oh shit_ , Dan thought to himself, _Here we go, again. Let me guess, I’m the only one who heard that this time, right?_  
  
  Much to his surprise, this didn’t seem to be the case. The petite girl gritted her teeth, as she dropped her arms by her side, clenching her fists as she stepped back. Tears sparkled in the corners of her rose colored eyes as she gasped, unable to say anything.   
  
  However, Yuri seemed not to have noticed, or cared, about the harshness of her words, as she continued to glare at her fellow club member with an expression as cold and sharp as a razor blade made out of frosted crystal. Natsuki bit her lip, fighting against her tears as she sat back down at her desk.  
  
  “Yuri,” Arin spoke for the stunned girl, “That’s a little harsh. This isn’t like you at all---”  
  
  “ _ **Be quiet**_ ,” Yuri’s distorted voice snapped again, this time shifting her dagger-gaze upon the other man, “ _ **It’s not like you’re supposed to be here, anyways. Why don’t you just go back and mess up someone else’s life with your meddling?!**_ ”  
  
  Now, it was the other man’s turn to be taken aback. As if he had been struck with a ten-ton sack of iron, Arin recoiled, covering his mouth with trembling hands to stifle a gasping sob. His wide eyes shone with tears as he looked fearfully between Yuri and Dan, as if the purple haired girl had revealed a horrible secret to everyone.  
  
  However, once more, before Dan could reply, or anything could have a chance to settle down, the clubroom door flew open, as Monika rushed into the room. As usual, her arms were laden with numerous books and papers. Flustered, she panted as she shuffled the books in her hand, managing to brush aside a long lock of her cinnamon colored hair with a graceful wave of her hand.   
  
  Beside them, Dan noticed the other man’s expression change. Once more a frown darkened the other man’s features as his muscles tensed. Again, his eyes narrowed as he observed her with the same scrutiny as a scientist observing an unusual behavior in a chemical reaction.

  And strangely, Dan himself sort of understood why Arin seemed so on edge at that moment. Although nothing seemed to be outwardly different in the Club President’s appearance, a strange vibe permeated through her movements and her demeanor, making her seem slightly different than she did yesterday. Her eyes glimmered almost a little too unnaturally bright as they met Dan’s own eyes for the briefest of seconds, sending a cold shiver down his spine.  
  
  “Aw man,” she sighed, “I’m the last one here, again!”  
  
  Yuri, strangely, did not seemed bothered by Monika’s interruption. Instead, it seemed as if the purple haired girl had magically reverted to her normal, timid self. A pink blush painted her soft, elegant features as she wrung her hands together. Had it not been for the other two, Dan would have almost convinced that none of the previous conversation had even happened.   
  
  “Were you practicing piano, again?” Yuri replied quietly, “You must have a lot of determination to start this club while still trying to make time for piano.”  
  
  Monika giggled sweetly, as she blushed. Again, Dan felt an uncomfortable creeping crawling up his spine, like an invisible hand tracing lines up his back. He couldn’t place why, but there seemed something that seemed just a little too syrupy. It was like listening to a song that one had listened to a thousand times before, but one of instruments was being was played a half note higher than normal.   
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Monika said, “Maybe not determination, but I guess passion. It motivates me to work hard for the festival, too.”  
  
  The Club President beamed, her emerald eyes falling on Dan as she continued. Despite himself, the curly haired man couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat as she flashed him a charming smile. Even as Arin’s warning echoed in the back of his head, part of him felt as if he were almost under some spell every time he looked at her.  
  
   Maybe Arin was wrong, an evil little voice in his head whispered. Maybe the reason that he told Dan not to trust her was because of jealousy. Perhaps Arin was only trying to deceive him in order to keep them apart, because he had a crush on her himself.  
  
  That’s ridiculous, another voice argued. Arin had no reason to deceive Dan like that. How long had he known the other man for? It asked. Days? Weeks? Years even? And had once Arin ever lied to him about something like this? Sure, it reasoned, there’d been times when Arin would jokingly lie about something incredibly innocent, like some little piece of gaming trivia. But, about important matters like this?  
  
  But that didn’t make sense, yet another side of him countered. He’d not know Arin that long, had he? And----  
  
  _Nope_ , Dan shook his head, driving away the oncoming buzz of conflicting questions before they could latch into his mind with their millions of tiny stingers, _Not today. We’re not going to go down that clusterfuck of a mind puzzle, again. There’s not enough aspirin in the world to deal with that migraine._

  “Anyways,” Monika continued, “Danny, what do you want to do today? I was thinking we could---”  
  
  “Um, Monika,” Arin spoke, “If it’s alright, I kind of need to talk to Dan about something for a second. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him yesterday, what with all that happened and everything so, I was hoping that I could----”  
  
  While Monika glared threateningly at the other man, her eyes burning with a dangerous fire, it was Yuri that interrupted him. Her own purple eyes seemed to glow with a furious light as she once more possessively wrapped her arm around Dan. The lanky man squirmed, almost unable to break free of her vice-like grip that the purple haired girl had on his arm.  
  
  “---Danny and I already had plans,” she said curtly.  
  
  Monika quirked an eyebrow, seeming to silently challenge the purple haired girl, as she rested a hand on her hip. The chill in her voice seemed to echo around the room, making even Yuri’s grip on Dan’s arm loosen slightly, momentarily reconsidering her insistence that she and him had plans today.   
  
  “Is that so, Yuri?” Monika asked coolly.  
  
  “Y-yes, that’s correct” Yuri replied, steeling herself with a deep breath “Danny is already engaged in a novel that we’re reading together. Aren’t you glad I’ve already gotten him into literature, Monika?”  
  
  Beside him, Arin scoffed, mumbling something sarcastic under his breath as he folded his arms across his chest, observing the two members of the Literature Club with the same careful interest that one displays after spotting a poisonous snake laying in the grass.  
  
  Monika blinked, seemingly caught off guard by the uncharacteristic hardness in the soft-spoken girl’s voice. However, she didn’t seem to allow her calm, smiling mask to drop for long, before the air rang with another nervous giggle.  
  
  “Ahaha,” she replied, rubbing the back of her neck, “I suppose---I was just----Actually, it doesn’t matter. You guys can do whatever you want.”  
  
  Yuri’s amethyst eyes glittered feverishly as the widened, a twisted smile flickering over her face. The uncomfortable knot that had tied itself tightly in Dan’s stomach since his first day in the club, managed to knot itself even more tightly as he heard alarms blaring the back of his mind.   
  
  Beside him, the purple haired girl cheered under her breath as her grip tightened even more around his arm, nearly pulling his shoulder out of his socket as she gleefully dragged him away from the others before he could protest.   
  
  “Thank you for understanding, Monika” Yuri called over her shoulder.  
  
  “Monika,” he heard Arin ask, his voice laced with concern as he looked between her and the retreating pair, “What are you doing?”  
  
  However, Monika only smirked as she watched the two retreat through knowing, fox-like eyes.   
  
  “Trust me,” she said slyly, “This’ll be interesting.”  
  


* * *

  
  Once again, Dan found himself alone with Yuri. Although the others were still very much present in the classroom, he couldn’t help but feel as if he and Yuri were somehow the only two actually present in the moment.  
  
  Had this been any other day, the prospect of spending time alone with a girl as beautiful and smart as Yuri would have been like heaven. But, now? This didn’t feel entirely right. As enthusiastic as Yuri was to spend time with him, and to share the experience of discovering the events in her novel with him, he couldn’t help but feel it a bit difficult to find that same level of enthusiasm as well.   
  
  Part of him was sort of afraid that him continuing to be intimate with the purple haired girl at that moment was more of a harm than a help. She was clearly in a bit of a volatile emotional state at the moment, and accidentally sending her mixed signals about how he felt about her would only make things much worse for her.    
  
  On the other hand, it felt as if he were being dragged along without any real say in what was going on, whether it by the force of Yuri’s personality or by something much more supernatural. It was like his voice had been stolen from him, and everyone was simply filling in his silence with whatever words they wanted to hear.   
  
  
  “---Actually,” Yuri said, as if in the middle of a conversation that he didn’t remember having with her, “I have a request. Do you mind if I make some tea, first?”  
  
  “N-not at all,” Dan replied, chuckling, nervously, “Take your time.”   
  
  “Thanks,” Yuri replied, “If there’s one thing that can make my reading time here even better, it’s a nice cup of tea. Not to mention for yourself, as well.”  
  
  “Do you want me to walk with you?” he asked.  
  
  “N-no!” Yuri stammered, her face growing pink, “I-I can handle it myself. Would you mind setting up the heater while I’m gone, please?”  
  
 _Good_ , he sighed to himself as she disappeared, and he set to work plugging in the small electric heater near the teacher’s desk, S _he’s just making some tea. That’s normal. Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems. Maybe something else has her in a mood today. Maybe a nice, hot, relaxing cup of tea and a book will calm her down, and everything will be back to what passes for normal around here._  
  
  But then, by this point, he really should have learned not to listen to the voice in his head reassuring him that everything was alright.   
  
  “Ah,” Monika asked, as she approached him, “Did Yuri leave you again?”  
  
  “No,” Dan replied, “It’s not like that this time. She’s just going to make some tea.”  
  
  “Oh, okay,” Monika smiled, giggling as she innocently folded her hands behind her back, “Sorry for the misunderstanding.”  
  
  Something ominous echoed in her tone as she bounded away, winking over her shoulder at him, leaving the curly haired man confused and on edge as he quietly sat back down at his desk.  
  
  Ten minutes had passed in tense silence since Yuri had disappeared into the hallway, carrying a metal teapot with her. Admittedly, Dan was starting to get a little worried.   
  
  She was gone a little long, he noted, even for having to fill up the tea pot with water. Even if the water fountain had broken, it wasn’t likely that the sinks on the floor had also broken. She could have always stopped in one of the bathrooms and used the sink. Hell, he added, if she needed to, the Science and Art club rooms would have had a sink in them. He was sure that either one of the clubs wouldn’t have minded letting her borrow one for a moment.   
  
  Nervously, Arin approached him, furtively looking over his shoulder as he hovered near Dan’s desk, unsure if he was allowed to sit down or not.  
  
  “H-hey,” he began, “Where’s Yuri? She was pretty adamant about reading with you.”  
  
  Again, Dan explained the situation. However, unlike Monika, Arin did not seem relieved by the other man’s assurance that the purple haired girl had simply stepped out to get water. Slowly, he sat down beside him, looking down at the book laying on the table, as if hypnotized.

  “ _Portrait of Markov_ , huh?” Arin began faking casualness, despite the quiver in his voice, “Interesting book, don’t ya think? Kinda gives off some real freaky vibes just looking at it, huh?”  
  
  “Yeah,” Dan nodded, now also looking at the book, “Have you read it before?”  
  
  “Sorta,” Arin chuckled weakly, “I’ve got a few friends into urban legends and science, and it has a tendency to pop up every so often. So, most of what I know is from them. Still, I gotta wonder if the author based this on the Libitina experiments from the mid-to-late nineties?”  
  
  “The Libitina experiments?” Dan asked, feeling his blood run cold as he spoke.  
  
  “Oh yeah,” Arin nodded, “ Apparently, it’s this big urban legend, or something. Like, apparently in the late nineties there was some rumors about some experiments that were being conducted to unlock people’s latent psychic abilities or something. Y’know, basically a lot of that stuff that’s supposedly been happening since the Sixties and whatever. But, like this one was secretly run by some underground cult or whatever, for some darker, more twisted reasons.”  
  
  “What kind of reasons?” Dan asked.  
  
  “Not sure,” Arin shrugged, “Like I said, I’m not really the expert on this stuff. You’d have to ask Brian and Suzy about that. Science and occult shit is more up their alley.”  
  
  Dan paused, a sudden chill running down his spine like ice water against his skin. Those names sounded familiar, he thought. But, where had he heard of them before? Granted, they were fairly common names, he reasoned, so they could have been anyone.   
  
  “Brian and Suzy?” Dan asked, curiously, “Are those friends of yours?”  
  
  Arin’s eyes once more glimmered with tears too stubborn to allow themselves to fall in front of the other man as he stared dejectedly down at the floor, unable to make eye contact with his fellow club member.. Wordlessly, he lips moved, as if in silent prayer as he clutched his heart, absently rubbing his wrist.   
  
  A gentle tugging at the depths of Dan’s heart told him that those two names should have meant something to him. His inability to recall what significance these names held had cut Arin far deeper than even the sharpest knife in the world could.  
  
  Without warning, foggy images danced in snowy static within his vision.. For a moment, he imagined himself sitting in a room, as a beautiful woman in black with long, raven hair held his face, patiently demanding that he hold still while she delicately tried to apply eyeliner onto his face with the precision of a surgeon. Out of the corner of his eye, he could just make out Arin, excitedly discussing what sounded like stage directions, with slightly older man with greyish hair, clad in what looked like a ninja costume (minus the mask, which he has holding in his hands).   
  
  However, yet again, before he could make sense of his daydream, he awoke again, as only wispy, lingering traces of his daydream floated around in his head like smoke in a dark room.   
  
  Arin had gone deathly still, he noticed, his shoulders drawn as he stared fixedly at the door. A troubled expression rolled over his face like clouds in a storm as he hummed to himself in anticipation. Curiously, Dan followed his gaze, unaware that he was holding his breath as he waited for something to happen.  
  
  Yuri had been gone for quite a while, hadn’t she? He wondered. It had to have been at least ten or fifteen minutes at this point. Hopefully something bad hadn’t happened to her on the while she was out.

  
  “Arin?” Dan asked curiously, “Is something wrong? I didn’t say something weird did I?”  
  
  “No,” Arin said, his eyes still locked on the door, “It’s not you. It’s Yuri. I’ve got a feeling that something’s happened to her.”  
  
  Hurriedly, Dan leapt to his feet, his heart pounding as he dashed for the door. He wasn’t sure why, but part of him couldn’t help but also feel the other man’s creeping apprehension and fear as his own. Yuri must have filled that tea-kettle a hundred times before, he reasoned, and it’d never taken her this long to return back to the classroom.     
  
  What else could have happened, if not something bad? He reasoned. It wasn’t like there were a lot of people that she could have run into between the water fountain and the classroom that would have wanted to talk. Besides, Yuri didn’t really seem like the type who enjoyed making idle, casual conversation with people she didn’t know that well, especially when she was in the middle of a task.  
  
  As he reached the door, he felt a tug on his arm, gently but firmly pulling him back a few steps. Arin’s hands had wrapped around his own as the other man stared at him, silently begging the curly haired man to reconsider his frantic dash out of the classroom.  
  
  “Arin!” Dan gasped, “What are you---?”  
  
  “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this,” Arin explained, “I--Look, there might be some things that you’re about to see that not even Yuri wanted you to know about her. As much as I don’t want her hurt, and as much as I feel like she needs someone to help her, I don’t want you to hurt, either.”  
  
  What was Arin talking about?! Dan wondered, feeling a vein of hot annoyance twitch in his skull, pulsing in time to the knot of fear that gripped his stomach. Why should he not go? Despite their quirks, Yuri, and the rest of the Literature Club, were starting to feel like friends to him. He’d never been the type to simply stand by while one of his friends was in trouble. It was just too cruel of him to even consider.  
  
  “Arin,” Dan said, “I understand, and I appreciate it. But, if she’s really in trouble, then I gotta help her, right? If you were me, wouldn’t you want to do whatever you could to help your friends?”  
  
  Arin bit his lip, pensively staring down at the ground beside him. His grip on the other man’s hand slackened, though he did not fully release him. The other man’s lips moved silently, uttering something too quiet for Dan to hear. However, as quickly as it happened, it passed, as the other man re-clasped his hand around Dan’s But this time, it was not a hold of restraint, but rather a quiet gesture of reassurance, as he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.  
  
  Once more, Arin’s eyes met Dan’s own, as his expression steeled with a reluctant determination. Wordlessly, the two exchanged understanding nods with one another before releasing their hold on one another. Whatever horrors they were going to face, Dan reasoned, he and Arin were going to deal with them together.   
  
  The empty hallway seemed almost eerily still, he thought as the two stepped out of the classroom. Not even the muffled noise of the other club’s activities echoed through the narrow halls with its usual ambience. Only the quiet tap of the two men’s footsteps against the smooth, tile floors could be heard, sending goosebumps across Dan’s skin, as the two slowly made their way closer to the water fountains.

  The two stopped as a sound echoed from the bathroom just a little ways down the hallway. Heavy, labored breathing punctuated strings of what sounded like an unearthly moans of pleasure and pain. Confused, Dan shot a questioning look back at the other man behind him, as if he could somehow explain what they were hearing.  
  
  The other man said nothing, his brow furrowing deeper as his shoulders tensed, as if preparing himself for something. Despite his confusion, Dan too, found himself tensing, subconsciously trying to fight his body’s efforts to press himself against the wall, or to turn around and run back into the safety of the clubroom and force himself to forget all about Yuri.   
  
  No, he thought to himself, he had to keep going. Yuri might be in trouble, and might need him. It was far too late for him to chicken out and turn around now, he thought.   
  
  A sharp intake of breath, like someone sucking in air through their teeth, echoed faintly, scratching against the back of the curly haired man’s mind like glass being scrapped against metal.   
  
  “Yuri?” Dan asked nervously, “Is that you?”  
  
  Slowly, Dan pushed himself around the corner with a shaking hand. Immediately, the sight that met him on the other side of the corner made him wish that he had followed his cowardly instincts. Like a frightened rabbit, Yuri gasped, instinctively clutching her chest as she curled up on herself.. Her sleeve was rolled up, he noticed, having not had enough time to properly cover herself in her surprise.  
  
  Thin scars crisscrossed her uncovered arm, marring the pale, smooth skin with their presence. Some scars were faded into a dull pink, having long since had time to close, but not yet properly heal, while others were newer, still as angry, thin trickles of crimson welled forth.  In her other hand, was the weapon that had committed the horrifying act; a small, rainbow bladed knife with a pearl handle.  
  
  “Oh, Yuri,” Dan breathed, his voice wavering as he slowly approached her, “Oh no….”  
  
  Slowly, he spun around toward Arin, silently demanding answers. Had Arin known about this? He wondered. Was he trying to protect Yuri from the possibility of someone close to her accidentally uncovering her terrible secret, and accidentally driving them away? Or was he trying to protect Dan from the possibility of seeing one of his new friends in pain?  
  
  “Arin,” Dan asked slowly, his voice barely above a whisper “Is this…..?”  
  
  The bespectacled man said nothing as he lowered his head, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes as he ashamedly avoided looking at the other man. And yet, that alone said far more to answer Dan’s question that any words could have possibly said at that moment.   
  
  Arin had known, his silence told him. He’d known for quite some time.   
  
  Strangely, despite his shock and confusion, he found it almost impossible to feel any sort of actual fury towards the other man. At that moment, it wasn’t about him, or Dan, or what either one of them did or didn’t know. At that moment, it was about Yuri, and being there to help her through a difficult time that no-one but her likely understood.   
  
  Quietly, Dan pulled a handkerchief from within his coat pocket, dampening it in the fountain beside them, as Arin helped her to her feet. Gently, he approached the purple haired girl watching him. He might not have understood what was going on in the young woman’s mind at that moment to compel her to harm herself like this, but at the very least, he figured, the right thing to do was to help her clean herself up, and maybe take her to the nurse’s office.   
  
  Maybe once everything had settled down, and they had had more of a chance to talk about this with one another, it’d be easier to find the help that Yuri might have needed to treat this habit safely.  
  
  The dampened cloth was barely an inch away from the purple haired girl’s arm when he felt a strange tingle in the air, like static. Panicked, he dropped the cloth, unaware as it floated uselessly to the floor below, as he looked around in wide-eyed uncertainty.  
  
  Beside him, he heard Arin’s voice uttering a string of dark curses to himself, as he let go of Yuri’s shoulders, as he instinctively darted to his other friend’s side, as if to protect him from some unseen force that lurked behind him in the shadows. Time itself felt as if it had become distorted, as snowy static filled his vision.   
  
  Before him, Yuri seemed to move almost unnaturally, as if he were watching a recorded video of the purple haired girl on an old tape being played on a VCR set on ‘rewind’. Slowly, she dropped to her knees, her breathing picking up, sounding even more haunting and terrifyingly unearthly in reverse.   
  
  Likewise, Arin almost seemed to be moving differently. While he did not move in reverse like the purple haired girl did, he seemed as if he were moving in slow-motion, as if weighed down by the static itself as he reached out for Dan, his fingertips mere inches away from Dan’s, own outstretched hand, yet still too frustratingly far away to touch.   
  
  Without warning, an invisible, cold, hand wrapped itself around Dan’s body, roughly jerking him back toward the classroom with such force that he was almost sure that he’d been lifted off his feet like a ragdoll being dragged behind an energetic toddler running around the room.  
  
  Slowly, his senses cleared as the static faded, allowing him to reorient himself to his surroundings once more. Groaning, he blinked, feeling as if someone had punched him in the face, as a throbbing, but quickly subsiding migraine ached in the back of his skull.   
  
  “I’m back,” Yuri announced cheerfully as she sat down the tea-kettle on the burner, and switching it on as she continued to prepare the tea, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.   
  
  This isn’t right, Dan thought to himself as he looked down at Yuri’s jacket sleeve. He was sure that he had been in the hallway. He was sure that he’d remembered seeing Yuri’s arm littered with angry, thin red cuts. He remembered her curling in on herself in surprise as she noticed that he and Arin had accidentally spotted her.  
  
  How could she possibly be acting as if none of that had even happened? He wondered. It wasn’t like it’d happened that long ago, or was too easy to forget. And yet, here she was, smiling as she offered him a steaming cup of tea, like she’d only been away for a couple of minutes.  
  
  “Danny?” Yuri asked, motioning toward a box of tea sitting on the desk, “Do you like oolong tea?”  
  
  “A-ah yeah,” Dan replied, nodding as he tried to shake the uneasy feelings buzzing in the back of his mind, “I guess. Anything is fine, really.”  
  
  “Very well,” Yuri smiled to herself as she set to work preparing the tea.   
  
  It seemed a strange thing to notice, he thought, given everything else that had happened in the span of a few minutes, but he couldn’t help but notice the careful, calm confidence that Yuri carried herself with as she diligently prepared the tea, measuring out the perfect amount of leaves necessary.   
  
  It was almost like the same change that came over her whenever she spoke about literature.   
  
  “You really do this properly,” Dan said, more out of a desire to make any sort of conversation than anything else, “Don’t you?”  
  
  “Of course,” she replied, “I shouldn’t do any less when I’m making tea for others.”  
  
  “Even if they’re not an expert at tea?” he asked, realizing that he must have sounded stupid.

  However, the purple haired girl did not seem to have found it ridiculous in the least, giggling softly and humming to herself as she continued.   
  
  “Well,” she replied, a pink blush painting her cheeks, “In that case, you’ll only be even more impressed.”  
  
  Again, she hummed a little song to herself as she worked. This was definitely starting to freak him out, Dan thought to himself as he looked around the room, wondering if anyone else was noticing how unusually chipper the normally reserved purple haired girl was being. However, again, it felt as if they were the only two in the room as everyone had scattered, doing their own thing.   
  
  “Y-you seem to be in a good mood,” He began, hoping to possibly address the topic subtly, “What’s up?”  
  
  “Oh,” Yuri blushed, delicately resting her hand on her cheek, “it’s nothing. I’m just in a good mood and letting it show, that’s all. And, you noticed…”  
  
  “Yuri,” Dan began, heaving a deep sigh, “Earlier, I---”  
  
  Yuri blushed again, her eyes glimmering like amethysts in a feverish light as she interrupted him. It was almost as if she were so intensely focused on what she had to say, that she wasn’t even actually speaking to him at all, and was instead reading from a script that she’d rehearsed many times.  
  
  “I’ve been doing a bit of thinking,” she spoke, “And I decided that I would try expressing myself a little bit more. I found out that it’s not that hard to do. At least, when it’s you whom I’m around.”  
  
  “That’s great, Yuri,” Dan replied uncertainly, “Just please be a bit careful, okay? While it’s a good idea to be more honest with your emotions, and express them, just be a bit careful not to overwhelm yourself and do something that might be dangerous.”  
  
  “Hehehe,” Yuri giggled, “You’re always worrying about me, Danny. It’s very endearing.”  
  
  “That’s not---” Dan began, but gave up, the words trailing off in a frustrated sigh as Yuri returned her focus on the tea,   
  
  Bringing this up wasn’t going to be easy, he thought. Granted, he knew he should have been patient. After all, if something was going on, it was entirely up to Yuri on whether she felt comfortable discussing it, and trying to force that conversation against her wishes would only serve to crumble what trust she might have built toward him.  
  
   But then again, how could he even bring it up in the first place, when he wasn’t even sure he could trust what he’d witnessed with his own eyes? Maybe he’d fallen asleep while waiting for Yuri to return that his overactive imagination, coupled with the stress from the previous few days, had concocted an entire, vivid daydream out of thin air?  
  
  Arin, he thought to himself. Arin had been in that hallway, too. If it wasn’t a daydream, then Arin would have remembered everything, too. That was, he added bitterly, if he wasn’t actually on the receiving end of some cruel prank by the rest of the Literature Club members, that the other man was also part of.  
  
  “I have another request,” Yuri said as she finished pouring the tea into two cups, “Can we sit on the floor, today?”  
  
  Again, Dan blinked, brought back to reality as if having a freezing bucket of water dumped over his head. Hadn’t he been through this conversation before? He wondered vaguely.  
  
  “Sure,” he replied, “It wouldn’t be rude for me to ask why, though, would it?”  
  
  “Not at all,” Yuri shook her head, “It’s just that it’s easier for me to read with my back against a wall, rather than bending over my desk.”  
  
  “Right,” Dan nodded, predicting what she was going to say next, “You have back pain a lot, don’t you? It’s easier to manage it when you’re reading against the wall?”  
  
  Yuri gasped, an embarrassed blush painting her cheeks once more as she gaped at the curly haired man like a fish out of water, flustered that he had read her so easily.  
  
  “A-ah!” she stammered, “I-is it that obvious?! T-that I have----”  
  
  “---Terrible posture?” Dan finished hurriedly, a flustered blush of his own painting his cheeks as he tried to save the two of them from treading down what could have been a fairly awkward, if not amusing, conversation.   
  
  He guessed that the purple haired girl was likely about as self conscious about her figure as Natsuki was, and him accidentally implying that he’d noticed her fairly ample chest would only make her feel more self conscious, and make himself look like some sort of creepy pervert.  
  
  “Y-yes,” she laughed nervously, “That’s it! I have terrible posture! How did you know?”  
  
  “Eh,” Dan chuckled, despite himself, “It’s no big deal. Trust me, sort of get where your coming from. I used to have back problems all the time, too. Like, trust me, I went from being about as short as Natsuki to being about as tall as Arin in the span of, like, a year. That tends to fuck up your posture and your back pretty damn hard, y’know?”  
  
  Yuri nodded, as she went to go get the book from her desk. Quietly, Dan settled down on the floor, suddenly feeling something shift in his coat pocket. Curiously, he reached his hand into the pocket, withdrawing a small square of chocolate wrapped in a brightly colored foil.   
  
  That was strange, he thought to himself. He didn’t usually carry chocolates in his pocket, did he? Had he maybe he’d slipped them in there the other day without realizing and completely forgot about them until now.  
  
  In whatever case, he reasoned, it’d probably go well with the tea. Within moments, Yuri returned, resting her teacup beside her as she sat down beside him. It was as if they had never stopped reading as they resumed the same reading positions they had during their previous session, with each of them holding half the book.  
  
  Again, holding the book was like settling oneself into a steaming hot spring. At first, it was difficult to shake the unusual, ominous vibes that pulsed from the book like a heartbeat, but the more he held the book, the more the feeling subsided, almost as if it was starting to become part of him, beating in time with his own heartbeat.  
  
  Yuri squinted as she leaned closer, her body brushing against Dan’s own, sending sparks shooting though his veins.   
  
  “I can’t see too well from here,” she said.   
  
  Without waiting for Dan’s suggestion, the purple haired girl slid closer to him, her body pressed against this as their shoulders touched. Once more, Dan felt the heat rise in his face. He was almost too close, he thought, his body tense. If he accidentally leaned an inch too far while turning the page, he risked brushing his hand against her soft, delicate skin. If he inhaled too deeply, he risked smelling the flowery scent of her jasmine-scented perfume in her hair.   
  
  While he wasn’t one to judge a person’s actions, the slight devilish smirk that twitched on her lips as she leaned against him suggested that this had likely been her plan the entire time.  
  
  After a few moments, he managed to relax again, though the new, closer arrangement had made it a bit more difficult for him to fully focus. Fumbling, he balanced the book in one hand as his free hand fidgeted with the chocolate wrapper, removing the chocolate as he offered it to Yuri.  
  
  “Do you want any chocolate?” he asked, “I found them earlier and I thought they’d go pretty well with the tea.”  
  
  “No thanks,” Yuri shook her head, “I-it’s a nice offer, but if I take one, it might smudge the pages of the book.”  
  
  “Ah,” Dan sighed, “Y-yeah, I guess I didn’t think about that. Sorry.”  
  
  “No need to apologize,” Yuri replied, “I’ll hold the book, okay?”  
  
  Dan nodded, as once again the pair’s position shifted awkwardly. This time, Yuri held the book with both hands, her left arm practically resting on top of Dan’s leg as she made sure that he was able to read. Before Dan could say anything, Yuri’s eyes glazed over, already once more becoming lost in the dark world of fantasy between the pages of the book.

  
  Absently, Dan took the unwrapped chocolate, placing it in his mouth, before unwrapping another one. It felt as if his hands were on autopilot, guided by the heat of the moment as they unconsciously guided themselves toward Yuri’s soft, pink lips. Her warm, sweet breath sent electric shocks up his skin as it kissed his fingertips.   
  
  Still lost deep in focus, Yuri’s mouth opened, seemingly unaware of the chocolate hovering inches away from her lips. Before he could stop himself, he sat the candy on her lips, pulling away just as he felt the purple-haired girl’s mouth close around it.   
  
  What was he thinking?! He practically screamed at himself. Sure, he and Yuri knew each other fairly well at this point, but feeding someone chocolate while they’re reading just wasn’t something someone did without at least asking if they were okay with it first.  
  
  Even Yuri seemed surprised, her eyes widening as the sweet taste of chocolate melted on her tongue, drawing her back to reality. Her chest heaved as her breathing quickened ever so slightly as she tried to process what had happened.  
  
  “A-ah!” she gasped, “D-Did I just…..?”  
  
  “Ah!” Dan replied hurriedly, a flustered blush painting his cheeks, “I-I’m really sorry about that, Yuri! I just thought that you’d like some chocolate, and that I didn’t want to disturb you from reading and…..”  
  
  Whatever explanation the curly haired man had no longer mattered, as it seemed as if Yuri was no longer listening. Her breathing grew even heavier, seeming to verge on the edge of a panic attack, as her face grew even redder and flushed. Her eyes once more widened dangerously, as the pupils contracted, nearly shrinking into to tiny pinpoints amongst a sea of indigo.  
  
  “Danny…..”she said, her voice rasping between breaths, “I….I can’t…..”  
  
  Without warning, she grabbed his arm, swiftly pulling him up off the floor, knocking the teacup over, as hot tea spilled all over the floor. Yet again, alarms blared in Dan’s mind, warning him that something was seriously wrong, and that he needed to escape as soon as possible. And yet, another voice argued, it was a little too late to do that. Yuri already had him cornered.  
  
  Around him, it felt as if the room had gone dark, as a shroud fell over the room, sapping it of whatever cheery, peaceful atmosphere typically floated around the warm room. Only the sound of his heart beat pounded loudly in his ears as Yuri stood before him, breathing like a rabid, frenzied animal.  
  
  “Danny,” she whispered in his ear, grabbing his arm as she pulled him close, “My heart….my heart won’t stop pounding, Danny. I can’t calm down! I-I can’t focus on anything, anymore! Can you feel it, Danny? Can you feel my heart beat?”  
  
  Forcefully, she gripped his arm, holding it against her chest as spoke. Desperate to break free, he squirmed, trying to wrench his arm away from her. And yet, her arms were like ropes wrapped around him; the more he struggled, the tighter they held him in her grasp.  
  
  “Yuri?!” Dan asked, the words barely able to escape his lips, “W--what’s gotten into you?!”  
  
  “Why is this happening to me, Danny?” she asked, “I feel like I’m losing my mind! I can’t make it stop!”  
  
  “Yuri,” Dan tried again, struggling even more against her iron grip, as his own panic rose in his chest, “We can find out what’s going on! You just gotta let me go, alright?”  
  
    Still, Yuri ignored him.   
  
  “It even makes me not want to read,” she breathed, pulling him even closer, “I just want….to look….at you…..”

  With one last forceful tug, she pulled him in. Her face was inches away from his, as he felt the heat of her body burning from her skin like the heat radiating off of a blazing fire, her skin moistened by a faint warm sweat. His senses were filled with the scent of her perfume, clouding them in a haze of sensuous, yet terrifying smoke.   
  
    Her eyes looked wrong, he thought. No longer were they soft and gentle, but now were something much more hard and unnatural. It was like someone had cut out another person’s eyes, and pasted them on top of Yuri’s own. The indigo orbs moved of their own accord, spasming as they tried to look at him.   
  
  Again, she moaned, half way between pleasure and pain, her breath feeling like a gust of blazing hot wind against his face, as she pinned him against the wall.  
   
  He could feel her fingers of her free hand reaching for his chest, trembling as they hungered to loosen the white button-up shirt underneath the blazer, exposing as much of his bare chest as the confines of the jacket and the orange vest above would allow. However, before she could do that, he stopped her, firmly gripping her wrist with his free hand.  
  
  However, this only seemed to entice Yuri more, as her hungry, eyes stared down at his hand. Her smile, already looking sinister and unhinged, grew even more toothy and manic, seeming to delight in the contact between them.  
  
  Slowly, she moved in, groaning once more as she struggled to plant a kiss on his unwilling lips.   
  
  Suddenly, a cold rush filled his veins, dropping him back to reality as it seemed the lights flickered back on. Quickly, Yuri dropped her hand, gasping at herself as she covered her mouth with a trembling hand, staring ashamedly at the floor. Her eyes returned to normal, though glistening with embarrassed tears.   
  
  Himself gasping for breath, he looked over, noticing Monika standing beside them. Although she smiled, her expression was otherwise unreadable. A faint spark of disgust glimmered behind her eyes as she examined the scene, analyzing everything as she tried to draw her own conclusions as to what had transpired.  
  
  Behind her, standing just off to the side, as if they didn’t want to be involved, but were none the less concerned for the pair, were Natsuki and Arin. The petite girl glared, seemingly hurt as she looked between Dan and the purple haired girl. Though, that expression, naturally, didn’t last long, as she shot a dirty look at Dan, folding her arms in displeasure.   
  
  Next to her, Arin leaned against the corner of the wall, his own arms folded, as he curiously watched the two of them like a concerned mother hen afraid for the safety of her baby chicks. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, but was unable to at that moment, as he shot a nervous glance between Monika and Dan.   
  
  “Um….” Monika began, “It’s time to share our poems with each other.”  
  
  “Ah, right,” Dan nodded as he sighed to himself, thankful for a reason to step away from that awkward moment, and think of anything else.  
  
  Hurriedly, Yuri followed Monika, retreating to her desk as she went to get her poem. Dan sighed to himself, raking his fingers through his hair as he tried to give himself a moment to regain even the slightest sense of composure.  
  
  “Dan,” Arin said as he passed, “I-I saw what happened. Are you alright?”  
  
  “That wasn’t like her at all,” Dan said bluntly, “Something seriously messed up has been going on, lately. It’s like we’re in some horror game and everyone’s been  getting possessed by something that’s making them go crazy.”  
  
  The other man coughed, covering his mouth as if to stifle an amused laugh. Curiously Dan quirked an eyebrow as he watched the other man hurry off to his desk to retrieve his poem. Why did Arin think that was so amusing? He wondered.   
  
  Did Arin really know more about what was happening within Literature Club than he seemed to let on? There had certainly been a few times, Dan had reasoned, that the larger man seemed to be subtly trying to suggest that. But then again, that wasn’t any different than when Monika seemed to say things that felt as if they held more weight to them than usual. Either both of them truly knew something, or it was just Dan’s own imagination misinterpreting things.   
  
  But then again, the more that Dan thought about Arin, the more that tiny seeds of questions and doubt planted themselves deeper into his mind. Did he really know who Arin was? He wondered. Why was he really there? What was it that had brought him to the Literature Club in the first place?  
  
  Sure, he reasoned. He was told what Arin was: He was a transfer student from another school across town. But, he couldn’t recall anyone ever giving a direct answer as to what had made him transfer from his old school in the first place?   
He’d always assumed that it’d been due to some fight or some sort of tragic occurrence that he was trying to run away from. But maybe, he thought, Arin had been sent here for another reason, one that was more directly connected to the Literature Club and the strange occurrences that were happening.  
  
  Of course, Dan thought as he shook his head, that seemed fairly unlikely. After all, the weird stuff in the club had only been happening recently, long after Arin had already joined. 

* * *

  As Dan retrieved his poem from his backpack, the familiar, almost comforting buzz of activity filled the small club room. Around him, he could hear the rustles of paper and mumbled conversations as he tried to decide which one of the club members he should talk to.   
  
  Yuri, he reasoned, probably wasn’t a good option at the moment. Between the uncomfortable moment that had happened only moments ago, and with just how easily excitable she’d been the past couple of days, it was probably a good idea to give her a moment away from him to collect her senses and get calmed before he decided to share his poem with her.  
  
  Natsuki seemed like probably the best option, he reasoned. As much as she probably wasn’t at all that fond of him at this point, for accidentally ignoring her, she was at least upfront about what was going on in her mind, most of the time.  
  
    At least with her, he reasoned, there was very little guessing whether her words held some deeper and ominous meaning behind them. She wasn’t always looking over her shoulder in this club, too afraid to voice her opinion or call out someone on their bullshit, when she saw it.   
  
  And quite frankly, that kind of honesty was sort of refreshing in face of the subterfuge that felt was beginning to becoming lately.   
  
  The pink haired girl, seemed somewhat distracted, only shrugging dismissively as she glanced over his poem before handing it back to him.   
  
  “Eh,” she said, “It’s okay, I guess. I mean, it’s not really worse than your last couple of poems, but it’s not really better, either. I still can’t really tell how much you’ve learned while in here, but you’re doing alright. Eventhough you’re not really spending time with anyone but Yuri….”  
  
  The pink haired girl glared at him as he felt a sting of guilt stab at his heart, forcing him to lower his head, shamefully, as he absently knitted his fingers together on his desk.  
  
  It wasn’t like he’d purposefully meant to ignore Natsuki in favor of Yuri, or any of the others for that matter. It was just that it kind of felt like Yuri had been a bit more direct in getting his attention, and would manage to pull him away to go read with her before he had a chance to spend time with anyone. And, as the last two days had proven, it seemed as if every meeting was ending in some kind of incident that lead Natsuki running from the room, crying, before he could even suggest the possibility of hanging with her outside of the club.  
  
  Not that he was sure it was much of an option, anyways. He thought. As much as he guessed Natsuki wanted to spend time around people who she trusted, and who were sort of an escape from her terrible home life, he also figured that there was only so much time that she was allowed to actually stay at the school before her father got angry.  
  
  And, it wasn’t like either of them could just invite each other over to each other’s houses to hang out, he thought. Despite it sounding like Natsuki’s father was fairly neglectful of his daughter, to the point where he often neglected to even make lunch, or provide lunch money, for her, it also sounded like he was also very easily set off, and would beat her if she invited a boy over to her house, or if she stayed over at a boy’s house.  
  
  “Natsuki,” Dan began, “About that, I’m really sorry I haven’t gotten a chance to spend any time with you. It’s just that a lot of stuff keeps kind of happening that way. If it helps any, it’s not because I dislike you or anything. Even if you might not like me, I still think you’re pretty cool.”  
  
  Natsuki opened her mouth, ready to protest, before she found her words cut off by the end of Dan’s sentence. Gritting her teeth, she crossed her arms, giving a haughty sigh. Though her expression seemed displeased, the cherry-blossom blush on her cheeks.   
  
  “Y-you’re just saying that!” Natsuki stammered, “You just want to spend time with Yuri. It’s not like you even read the manga I lent you, or anything.”  
  
  “I mean it,” Dan replied earnestly, “And it’s not like I didn’t read _Parfait Girls_. I liked the chapter at the Spring Festival, with the whole cupcake matchmaking event the girls did.”  
  
  Again, Natsuki seemed choked up as her mouth moved silently, caught between wanting to say something snarky and being genuinely surprised that Dan had remembered that part of the book.   
  
  “Whatever,” she replied, waving her hand “Don’t act like I forgive you for ignoring me or anything. And don’t act like you think this means you can’t stop working hard, or anything. I mean, I might not be President or Vice President or anything, but that doesn’t mean that you can let me down.”  
  
  Once more, despite himself, Dan couldn’t help but smile at Natsuki’s flustered blush. However, that blush faded as a troubled shadow darkened her features. Discreetly, she handed him her poem, looking at him with a look that begged him to take this poem seriously, as that it was far too important to dismiss.  
  
  “Look,” Natsuki said, dropping her voice slightly, “It’s only fair that you read my poem, too. And like, this one means a lot to me, so try to pay attention to it this time, please?”  
  
  As Dan read over the “poem” he quickly realized that it was not a poem, at all. However, unlike with the mysterious encrypted poem that Natsuki had given him yesterday, this one was not changed due to some otherworldly interference, but rather was simply a secret note intended for Dan himself.  
  
  The note begged him to talk to Yuri, in some attempt to talk some sort of sense into her. It said that she was concerned that the purple haired girl was going a little too off the deep end lately, and that she was sure that Dan might be the only one who she would listen to about seeking some sort of professional help.  
  
   It said that she was afraid to bring it up with her, as that she would only start another fight. She mentioned that she’d already asked Arin, who had tried to approach the subject with her as well, but to no avail. She mentioned that she’d even talked to Monika about it, but the Club President had been oddly dismissive about the whole thing, insisting that everything would sort itself out.  
  
  Granted, Dan thought, he wasn’t sure how much Yuri would be willing to listen to him, either. As much as she liked him, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Yuri was dangerously lost in her own world. Even if he did talk to her about getting help, what was to say that she wouldn’t simply ignore it, mentally rewriting the scene in her head into something that suited her own fantasy.   
  
  Or worse, he added as his mind briefly flashed back to the moment in the hallway, what was to say that he wouldn’t accidentally push her over the edge, breaking her already fragile grip on her sanity and sending her dangerously spiraling into a cycle of self-harm and violence out of fear?    
  
  But, Natsuki was still right. Someone needed to talk to Yuri, and try to get to the center of what was causing her to behave so strangely. And, by the looks of things, it was going to have to be him.   
  
  Slowly, he lowered the paper, intending to make it sound like Natsuki had written a really good poem, as her note had instructed her to. However, as another stillness filled the air with its chill, he wished that he’d not let go of the paper so quickly.  
  
  Natsuki’s face had distorted once more. However, unlike the previous times, no black, squiggling voids danced across her eyes and mouth in a pixelated mess. In fact, none of her facial features were there at all. Her face was white as a sheet paper, as if someone had simply erased her face entirely, but forgotten to replace it with anything else.  
  
  “ _ **I changed my mind.**_ ” Natsuki’s distorted voice echoed hollowly in his mind, “ _ **Ignore everything you just read. There’s no point in trying to do anything. It’s Yuri’s own fault she’s unlikable. Can you hear me, Danny? If you would spend more time with Monika, all of these problems would go away. Yuri, Arin and I are too messed up for someone as wonderful as you. Just think of Monika from now on…..**_ ”  
  
  Monika? Dan wondered to himself, as he felt the world around him starting to fade once again, plunging him into inky blackness. What did Monika have to do with any of this?   
  
  Was Monika perhaps the one truly at the heart of this mystery? Did she hold the key to finally understanding all of the mysteries and questions that had been tormenting him for what seemed like weeks, but might have only been days? Did the fate of the universe balance entirely on him spending time with her? Or was she perhaps the one somehow responsible for all of this?   
  
  His thoughts echoed endlessly with two words like a mantra, as his senses slowly started to drift away, lulled to sleep by the distorted voice, slowly consuming his thoughts until it seemed as if the distorted voice were very much his own, as well.  
  
 _ **Just Monika**_ …..  
  
 **Just Monika** ……  
  
 _Just Monika_ …..

* * *

  With a jolt, he awoke again, his mind aching as he tried to shake out the hazy fog that had nested itself in his brain during his trance. Natsuki, he noticed, was gone, having wandered off to share her poem with someone else.    
  
  Blinking, Dan looked around the room, wondering who he should talk to next. Naturally, given the last echoes of the mantra still echoing faintly in his mind, it seemed as if his only real option was to talk to Monika.   
  
  His stomach churned as he slowly approached her desk, his lanky legs moving like those of a newborn deer taking its first steps. Strangely, Monika did not flash her usual, saccharine smile at him as he approached. Rather, she stared at him, her emerald eyes seeming almost to glow and be staring through him.   
  
  “Danny,” Monika began, not even waiting for him to sit down, “I think you saw something earlier that you weren’t supposed to.”  
  
  Which part? Dan wondered to himself. Was she talking about the secret note that Natsuki had given him, or was she referring to something else entirely? Did she somehow happen to know about how he and Arin had accidentally stumbled upon Yuri in the hallway, knife in one hand, scars along her arms? That was impossible, Dan reasoned. There was no way that she could have somehow seen either one of those events.   
  
  For yet a third, or possibly fourth time, an tingling creeping sensation brushed his skin, chilling him to the bone, as he yet again thought of Monika’s “always listening” statement. More and more he was starting to feel eerily convinced that she might actually have been listening, as if she had somehow secretly bugged the school, and was recording everyone’s conversations in an attempt to get dirt on someone. If he were in the mood to make a cheap shot, he would have made a joke that she should have been part of the Journalism Club or running for Class President, instead of just Literature Club President.  
  
  “I didn’t want to have to tell you this,” Monika continued, sighing deeply, “But I don’t think I have a choice. It’s getting kind of dangerous for you to spend so much time with Yuri.”  
  
  So, Monika had noticed to, he thought to himself. Even though Natsuki’s note had suggested that Monika seemed fairly dismissive about the problem, it seemed kind of like the opposite was the case at the moment, as Monika cast a concerned look toward the purple haired girl in the corner of the room.   
  
  “I don’t know why,” she continued, “But, she seems pretty easily excitable when she’s around you. Which, all things considered, shouldn’t be a problem in and of itself. But, when she get’s too excited, she tends to find a place to hide and starts cutting herself with a pocket knife. Isn’t that kind of messed up?”  
  
  That’s what this was about, Dan thought as he felt the knot in his stomach tighten. He hadn’t hallucinating being in the hallway at all. But even then, he wondered if his memories about that were wrong. Arin had been with him during that, not Monika. Perhaps he was just confused and Monika had actually been with him the entire time, instead, or something. He reasoned.   
  
  But, then, what was with all that strangeness where it’d felt like time had rewound itself? That couldn’t be explained away quite as easily.  
  
  Monika sighed again as she leaned closer, lowering her voice as she shot another furtive look over her shoulder at the purple haired girl, seemingly lost in her own world as she read by herself, waiting for someone to share her poem with.  
  
  “She even brings a different one to school everyday,” Monika explained, “Like she has a collection or something.”  
  
  Dan furrowed his brow, opening his mouth to speak, before Monika quickly shook her head, quickly answering his question before he could ask.  
  
  “It’s not like she’s depressed or anything like that,” Monika added quickly, “I just think that she gets some kind of high from it. It might even be, like, a sexual thing or something.”  
  
  Great, Dan thought to himself, running his fingers through his hair with a tired sigh. As if things weren’t already getting too intense around here, now it turned out that Yuri just happened to be an easily excitable knife-play fetishist who was probably a bit too into him.  
  
   Granted, he reasoned, it wasn’t like he could call her out on her kinks. After all, it wasn’t like he didn’t have a few of his own. But still, those types of things were best handled in a controlled environment with a consenting partner. He was almost pretty sure that self-infliction in an abandoned hallway was probably not something that met that criteria.   
  
  Regardless of the case, he thought, Yuri’s habits were not healthy and she needed to find a less self destructive outlet for her pent up emotions than this. But, all the same, given her current mental state, approaching the subject was going to be that much more difficult.   
  
  Still, he thought. He was her friend, and he was determined to do whatever he could to help her.   
  
  “But the point is,” Monika continued, “Is that you’ve kind of been enabling her.”  
  
  Wait, what? Dan thought to himself, blinking. How had he been enabling her? It wasn’t necessarily like he’d known about how excitable the purple haired girl got, or of her more self-destructive habits. Granted, he reasoned, the thing with the chocolates had been kind of questionable, and had likely been what set her off today, but the rest? That hadn’t been anything that he could have necessarily avoided.   
  
  Seeming to read his mind, Monika giggled nervously as she shook her head, waving her hands.  
  
  “N-not that I’m saying that it’s your fault,” she said quickly, “But I guess that’s why I felt I had to explain it to you. So, I think that if you kept your distance, it’d probably be best for her.”  
  
  That was going to make participating in the Literature Club a little difficult, wasn’t it? He reasoned. After all, he and Yuri were both still members of the club. And as such, it was kind of necessarily for them to interact with one another when it came to group activities such as sharing each others poems, as well as any discussions about the club’s activities.  
  
  Again, he opened his mouth to speak and argue the difficulty of Monika’s proposal, but was once more cut off as Monika giggled flirtly, folding her arms behind her back and bowing slightly as she winked coyly.  
  
  “While you're at it,” she added, “Don’t be too shy to spend a little more time with me. To put it lightly, I at least have it together in the head, and I know how to treat my club members.”  
  
  Despite the honey sweet giggle that punctuated her sentence, Dan couldn’t help but feel a twitch of annoyance irking him about that comment. It seemed as if Yuri wasn’t the only one acting somewhat out of character today, he reasoned. Maybe she hadn’t intended it that way, but that comment seemed kind of rude and dismissive for her.   
  
  Normally, Monika was usually quite kind when she talked about her fellow club members. The worst she’d do was make an offhanded, but good natured tease about how Natsuki like manga.   
  
  But then again, he thought, was that really true? It seemed like, ever since he’d joined the Literature Club, Monika had been a bit subtly mean spirited toward the others. Whether it was casually dropping a joke and making a comment about Natsuki’s figure in the midst of talking about her father’s neglect and abuse, or dismissively implying that Yuri was insane and getting off on cutting herself, it seemed like a lot of her comments didn’t quite match up with the sweet, kind-hearted personality he thought he knew.  
  
  “Anyways,” Monika said, changing the subject as she handed him a piece of paper, “I worked really hard on this one. So, I hope it’s effective. Here goes….”  
  
  Sighing deeply, Monika closed her eyes, squaring her shoulders as if she were preparing herself to recite a big, important speech. Her green eyes grew hazy and and distant, as if she was falling into a trance, as her lips moved silently. Around them, it felt as if the air itself shimmered, becoming blurry and distorted. The ambient noise of the classroom faded, as silence weighed heavy on Dan’s ears.   
  
  For a second, he could have sworn he saw Monika’s form flicker as heavy shadows danced across her face. It was as if, for just in that second, the Monika that stood before him was an entirely different entity than the Monika that he remembered being in the same class as him last year.   
  
  Tiny fractures cracked in the wavering air around them, as if the air had become glass that someone had taken a hammer to. Static oozed from the widening fissures, like blood from a pulsing wound. Dan felt as if his eyes were on fire as flashes of red and green swirled in his vision in a frenzied dance.   
  
  He felt a tug in the pit of his stomach, making him almost feel as if he were a fish being lifted out of the sea by a fisherman’s line. Vaguely, he swore he could hear Arin’s voice, fighting over the roar of the static, as he shouted in confusion at someone that Dan couldn’t see.  
  
  And then, before he could reply, to question what was happening, the roaring static ceased, as a ringing stillness filled his aching ears. Before him, flat cerulian pressed against his eyes. Yet, he thought, it was not the calming blue that one sees when staring at the cloudless sky, but rather that of an unforgiving, harsh blankness, devoid of both heat and cold.   
  
  Panic and confusion flowed through his veins, held still only by the tingling paralysis that gripped his muscles. What was going on here? He wondered to himself, as he strained to turn his head to look around.  
  
  Suddenly, Monika materialized out of the endless blue. Sheepishly, she giggled, blushing as she rubbed the back of her neck. How could she be so calm about this? Dan wondered again, though unable to react. Couldn’t she see that they were floating in the middle of God knows whatever this place was?  
  
  “Ah, geez!” Monika sighed, clicking her tongue exasperatedly, “That really startled me! This isn’t how that was supposed to go at all! I guess I really messed up ‘writing’ this poem, huh? Oh well, at least it’s lucky that your friend tried to intercept before this could get any worse! Otherwise, that one could have done some serious damage.”  
  
  Again, Dan was unable to do little more than watch in silent confusion as Monika stroked her chin, contemplatively humming to herself. Even in the midst of the emotionless blue, it seemed as if the Club President’s eyes were glowing with an almost an unearthly light as she twitched her fingers.   
  
  “Ah,” Monika hummed, mostly to herself, “There we go!”  
  
  Instantly, the scene shifted, as the paralysis fled from the curly haired man’s body, as he felt as if he were being dropped from the top of a skyscraper back into his desk. Once more, he found himself slack-jawed and confused as he looked around at his, unchanged surroundings.   
  
  Yet again, he sat alone at his desk. Monika, having apparently been finished sharing her poem with him, had wandered off to another corner of the room, preoccupied with her own thoughts to pay much attention to him.   
  
  _Wait_ , he thought, _Did I even show her my poem? Oh well, probably a little too late to do that now. It’s not like she would have really found it that interesting, anyways._

* * *

 

  Despite his apprehension, and Monika’s warnings to stay away from her, Dan decided to talk to Yuri. Silently, he prayed that the purple haired girl might have had a chance to collect her thoughts and calm down, now that she’d had a little bit of time away from him.  
  
  Yuri’s eyes sparkled with an excited glimmer as she saw him walking her way. Her smile widened, almost splitting into a grin as Dan’s stomach sank, making him cautiously slow his steps.   
  
 However, the purple haired girl did not seem to notice his nervous hesitation as she practically skipped the remaining distance between them. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, Dan thought to himself. Maybe he should give her a little longer, and go talk to Arin first, or something.   
  
  But then, a little voice in his mind reasoned. It wasn’t like Yuri was going magically snap back into her senses, no matter how much time the two of them spent apart. Yuri was far too lost in her own world for her to even realize what she was doing, the voice said. It wasn’t like he could actually avoid her while he was here.  
  
   She was, after all, the Vice-President of the Literature Club. It was inevitable that he’d have to talk to her about something sooner or later.   
  
  Besides, another part of him scolded, despite whatever was going on, Yuri was still his friend. Yuri wasn’t herself lately, it said, and right then, she needed the help of her friends. Not only would actively trying to avoid her not help anything, and could be potentially dangerous, he reasoned, it was also incredibly rude and cold of him to ignore a friend in need.  
  
  Without warning, Yuri took the paper from Dan’s hands, breathing deeply as she held it to her face, as if trying to inhale the scent of his cologne through the paper, intoxicated by even the faintest trace of lingering body heat left from Dan’s hands.  
  
  “I love it,” Yuri sighed, “I love everything about it!”  
  
  “Heh,” Dan chuckled weakly, “You might want to actually try reading it before making that kind of judgement.”  
  
  “Oh,” Yuri breathed, giggling, “I don’t have to even read it! If you wrote it, then I already know that I love it! Danny, I want to take this home with me. Will you let me keep it, please?”  
  
  “Eh,” Dan replied “How about after the meeting? I still have to show my poem to everyone else and everything.”  
  
  Dan sighed, shuffling his feet nervously before continuing. Yuri grimaced, biting back a look of disgust, as if the thought of Dan sharing his poem with anyone other than her was akin to rubbing the paper along the floor of a filthy subway station. Dan thought about Natsuki’s message. If he was truly the only one that Yuri would listen to, then he knew that he had to act fast.   
  
  “Um,” he began, trying to change the topic, “Actually, about after the meeting, I kind of need to talk to you about something kind of private and personal---”  
  
  However, Yuri seemed to ignore him as she laughed sharply again, hugging the paper tightly into her chest and rocking on her heels, as if determined to burrow the paper through the layers of clothing and flesh beneath, until she lodged it right in the center of her ribcage, next to her heart.  
  
  “Ahahaha!” she laughed, “You’re too nice to me sometimes, Danny! I never met anyone as nice as you. I could die---”  
  
  Yuri blushed, quickly clasping her hands in front of her as she giggled nervously again.  
  
  “Ahahaha,” she added quickly, “N-not really, of course! I-I just don’t know how to describe it. It’s okay to be feeling this way, right? It’s not bad, right?”  
  
  Again, the curly haired man opened his mouth to speak, but found that his words were in vain as Yuri continued to ramble, silencing him before even the first syllable of protest could be uttered.  
  
  “I’m going to take this home with me and keep it in my room. A-after the meeting, of course!” she continued, swaying as she continued to hug the poem to her chest, “I hope that makes you feel good, when you think about me having it. I’ll take good care of it! _ **I’ll even touch myself while reading it over and over**_ \----”  
  
  “Whoa,” Dan started, “Hold on a sec---”  
  
  But, for a third time, his voice fell on deaf ears as Yuri’s smile grew wider and more twisted, almost seeming to bear her teeth like a wild animal. It was almost as if she were slowly transforming into a rabid hyena right in front of him. Her eyes widened once more as her pupils shrank again, becoming dots in the center of two violet fields. Her voice, though distorted and growling, seemed almost to laugh as she heaved ragged, raspy breaths.  
  
  Instinctively, Dan took a step back, resting his weight on his back leg, prepared to flee like a frightened gazelle should Yuri try to close the boundary between the two of them.  
  
“--- _ **I’ll give myself papercuts**_ ,” she hissed, “ _ **So that your skin oil enters my bloodstream! AHAHAHAHA!** _ You can keep my poem, as well. Besides, after you read it, I’ll know you’ll want to keep it too!”  
  
  Eagerly, the purple haired girl thrust her paper into his hands. Dan felt his skin crawl as he felt something slick and wet meet his fingertips as he gingerly held up the paper. Smudges of crimson blood and a suspicious looking yellow-ish substance that he was almost too afraid to identify, stained every. Although he did not dare to purposefully inhale the paper as Yuri had with his, the scent that rose from the paper was almost too overwhelming for him to notice.  
  
  _God_ , he thought to himself as he fought back the urge to retch in front of Yuri, _I fucking hope that that’s just some essential oil or perfume on this paper._  
  
  Swallowing thickly to fight back a wave of nausea and disgust, he dared himself to focus on the actual contents of the poem itself. However, the messy, undecipherable scratching littered across the page did nothing to ease whatever fear and uncertainty he had about Yuri’s mental state.   
  
  It was strange, he thought. Just like how she herself was acting bizzarely unhinged and unlike her normal, reserved self, it felt as if her handwriting had also taken on another life just as manic and bizarre as Yuri herself was being.   
  
  Part of him almost had a hard time believing that this was real. Yuri couldn’t have written this poem, he tried to tell himself. Just as she couldn’t be possibly acting this strangely, and terrifyingly obsessed with him, to the point she’d physically harm herself. And yet, part of him knew that this had always been a part of the quiet, bookworm he knew. This was the side of her that she’d struggled to keep hidden, for fear of being rejected and isolated by her peers.   
  
  It was just lately, she either was unable to, or no longer cared about, restraining and controlling her more impulsive thoughts.   
  
  But then, he reasoned. Maybe that wasn’t entirely what was going on. Maybe, at some point, she’d only been a nervous, easily flustered person, who happened to have an innocent hobby for collecting knives. But, at some point, something, or someone was manipulating her into a twisted, grotesque caricature of herself, for reasons that Dan didn’t fully understand.  
  
  Heavy breathing rustled the paper in his hands as he felt a warmth hovering uncomfortably near him. Slowly, he lowered the paper, only to find Yuri’s face mere inches away from his, as she eagerly looked on, hungry for his response.  
  
  Once more, her eyes were the indigo eyes that seemed to belong to someone else, as she leaned in closer, her warm breath brushing against his bare skin as she whispered in his ear.  
  
  “Do you like it?” she purred sensuously, “I wrote it for you! In case you couldn’t tell, the poem is about-----”  
  
  Static filled his ears as Yuri’s form seemed to flicker, teleporting away from him, as she continued to stare longingly at him with empty, lustful eyes.  
  
  “---More importantly,” she continued, “I endowed it with my scent. See? Aren’t I the most thoughtful person in the club???”  
  
  Shaking, Dan dropped the paper, paralyzed once more by fear. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to know what ‘endowed it with her scent’ meant, he thought. Slowly, she slithered toward him again, climbing on top of the desk as she grabbed his tie, roughly pulling him forward, their faces once more only inches from each other, as Yuri closed her eyes, her lips parted as they hovered above his, daring again to close the distance between them.  
  
  “Yuri, no!” Arin’s voice rang from across the room. Despite her hold on his tie, Dan managed to turn his head, catching a glimpse of the other man storming toward the two of them. For a brief second, Dan could have sworn that Arin’s glasses flashed with a strange light that couldn’t have possibly been the glare from the ceiling lights or the afternoon sun from the windows, that had been darkened with a haze of crimson.   
  
  Suddenly, as if awakened from a trance, Yuri’s stared wide-eyed and confused, gasping for air in short, shallow breaths like a swimmer emerging to the surface after a deep dive. A furious, ashamed blush painted her cheeks as she looked down, her eyes traveling between the stained poem on the ground and the red tie grasped in her hand like a leash, and the bespectacled man giving her a concerned look.  
  
  Dan, too, gasped as her grip on his tie slackened, allowing him to breath once more.   
  
  “Yuri, c’mon. I got ya,” Arin said, as he helped the stunned purple haired girl down from the desk, “Easy now, are you gonna be okay?”  
  
  “I--” Yuri began shakily, “I think I’m gonna throw up!”  
  
  Hurriedly, she pushed Arin out of the way as she ran out of the room, covering her hand with her mouth as she darted from the room, disappearing through the doors, leaving the two men to behind to look on, confused. _  
_

* * *

  With that strange, perplexing and all together troubling end to their session, Dan was left with no-one else to talk to but Arin.   
  
  But, Dan realized as he looked down at the empty desk in front of him, he didn’t exactly have a poem he could discuss with the other man at that moment. Yuri, in her flustered attempt to escape toward the nearest bathroom to vomit, must have accidentally still been holding on to Dan’s poem when she left.  
  
 Not that it mattered much, he thought to himself, as he watched another pained, dark expression roll over the other man’s features like the clouds of a gathering storm. It didn’t really seem like Arin was that much interested in talking about poetry at that moment anyways.  
  
  “Damn it,” he heard Arin mutter darkly under his breath, “it’s just like Sayori all over again, isn’t it?”  
  
  Dan’s eyes widened as he felt like a flash-blub went off in his mind. All at once, fuzzy memories, like old stills on a slide projector, flashed through his mind in rapid succession. He remembered a girl with short, messy pinkish hair, running along the street toward the school, her red hairbow bobbing with each clumsy step she took. He remembered the girl’s feigned annoyance as she had gotten caught trying to con him into buying her a snack from the vending machine. He remembered holding her in his arms as she cried, tearfully confessing her love to him outside of her house.  
  
  He remembered running toward her house in the middle of the pouring rain, silently praying that his fears about her broken promise to be at the festival were unfounded.   
  
  That girl, the one who haunted his nightmares for so long---  
  
  That girl was Sayori.  
  
  But, that was impossible, he argued. Sayori wasn’t real. She was just some figment of his overactive imagination, like an imaginary friend from his childhood, that he’d unknowingly inserted into some of his more vivid daydreams.   
  
  But then, he countered, maybe she was real, and somehow not real at the same time. Maybe she had once been real, but some unknown cosmic force in the universe had mysteriously decided to interfere, altering the world he knew into one where either she didn’t exist, or she existed in a life where she and Dan had never known each other.  
  
  The floor beneath his feet felt as if it were spinning as he gripped Arin’s shoulder, steadying himself as he suddenly felt as if he’d had the wind knocked out of him by a punch to the gut by a heavyweight champion boxer.  
  
  “Arin,” Dan whispered hoarsely, “S-Sayori is dead, isn’t she?”  
  
  It was as if his simple question had pierced through the other man’s armor like a well placed arrow. Once more, the two men’s eyes met; the melancholy silence between them becoming a poem without words, saying far more than any sort of written words on paper.   
  
  The wide-eyed awe that glimmered like tears in Arin’s eyes asked if Dan truly remembered Sayori,as his lips trembled, fighting against a lump of emotion caught in his throat, forcing his breath to escape in choked, barely audible whimpers.  
  
  However, like the first flake of winter’s snow falling onto concrete, Arin’s awe faded, replaced with a resigned determination, as something cold and steely glinted now glinted in his eyes. His jaw set as his lips tightened into a frown, his body steadied as he took Dan’s hand in his own.   
  
  _Yuri’s going to die too, isn’t she?_ , Dan’s quirked eyebrow asked fearfully.   
  
_Not just Yuri_ , Arin shook his head.  
  
  _What do I do_? The pleading, fearful look in Dan’s own eyes asked.  
  
  Slowly, and gently, the other man took Dan’s wrist, carefully pulling back the sleeve of the jacket. Curiously, he watched as the other man’s fingers brushed over the faded, rusted coin bound to his wrist by a frayed, leather cord, gently lifting it up so that Dan could see  
  
  Carefully, his eyes never breaking contact from Dan’s own, the other man lifted his own wrist. As the fabric of the jacket fell back, Dan could see a bracelet almost identical to the one that Dan himself was currently wearing. For a brief flash of a second, Dan could have almost sworn that the faded coins had radiated with a glow of light.   
  
  It was then, that Dan noticed something else. Both coins bared the same inscription upon their smooth, worn faces:  
  
  _**You Are Not Alone**_  
  
  Dan’s confusion grew as he once more quirked his eyebrow. Again, images flashed briefly across his mind as he felt a jolt, like an electric shock, surge through him.   
  
  Arin had been the one to give him this charm bracelet, he remembered, right before he’d gone to confront Sayori about her strange, distant behavior. Right before she had confessed to him about the depression that she had kept hidden for years, until it had become too great of a burden for her to bear.   
  
  He remembered Arin explaining that the bracelet was a gift---a mental reminder to keep him centered should things become too chaotic for him to understand. He remembered later wondering if perhaps the other man had given had been meant more as a mental prompt than anything else.  
  
  But, still, his mind argued, none of this made sense. The timeline didn’t match up at all. There was no way that Dan had ever known anyone named Sayori, or that Arin could have possibly given him the bracelet.  
  
  Before Dan could open his mouth to ask for the other man to explain, Monika’s voice once more rang through the air, calling for the end of the poetry sharing session for the day.  
  
 Hurriedly, Arin dropped his hands, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets as he  let go of Dan’s own hands, as the mystical spell between them broke, leaving Dan confused and bewildered as the other man blushed deeply.  
  
  “A-ah,” Arin said quickly as he shuffled toward the front of the class with the others, “That’s my poem for today, I guess. I hope that you understood it, even if it didn’t make sense.”

* * *

  As Dan had feared, the mood that had settled over the classroom following the poetry session was just as tense as it had been near the end of the previous meeting. Yuri (who had just returned to the classroom), Natsuki and Arin sat at their desks in the front of the room, each of them fidgeting nervously and preoccupied with their own thoughts to be willing to speak.  
  
  Monika, however, did not seem to notice as she cheerfully bounded to the front of the class, smiling as she stood behind the teacher’s desk, looking over a few notes. But, even she seemed slightly impatient, as if she had somewhere else she’d rather be at that moment.  
  
  “Alright, everyone,” she began, “ I think it’s time that we discuss preparations for the festival. Let’s get this over with.”  
  
  The rest of the club shifted uncomfortably in their seats, each remembering how the previous attempt at making plans for the upcoming school festival had turned out. Natsuki grimaced, grunting as she frowned sourly, folding her arms across her chest, as if unwilling to bring up her returned reluctance to get involved in this subject again.  
  
 Meanwhile, Yuri absently played with her hair, seeming almost distracted as she stared down at her fingers.   
  
  “Stagnating air,” she mumbled under her breath, mostly to herself, “Is a common foreshadowing that something terrible is about to happen.”  
  
  “Look,” Monika sighed impatiently, resting her hand on her hip, “Can we just get this done, please? I’m going to be printing and assembling all the poetry pamphlets. Natsuki, you can make cupcakes. I know you’re at least good at that.”  
  
  The pink haired girl glared, gritting her teeth as she balled her hands into fists, looking as if she wanted to punch Monika across the face for that comment, but thought against the idea.   
  
  
  “Yuri,” Monika continued, “You can---it doesn’t matter. Do whatever you want, as long as you think it’ll help.”  
  
  “Monika,” Yuri looked up, glaring at the Club President, “I’m not useless, you know!”  
  
  “I-I know that!” Monika explained quickly as she shook her head, “I wasn’t saying that----”  
  
  “Besides,” Yuri interrupted, “I already know what I’m going to do. We can’t have a successful poetry event if we don’t have the right atmosphere for the occasion. So, I’m going to be making decorations and set up some nice mood lighting.”  
  
  Monika smiled, evidently pleased that the purple haired girl had taken the initiative to make that decision on her own, rather than shyly stand by in the background while everyone else tried to figure out what she could do to help contribute to the event.   
  
  “See?” she said cheerfully, “There, that’s a great idea! And it gives us all something to do.”  
  
  Arin coughed as he straightened himself in his chair, reminding the others, and especially Monika that he and Dan were still there, and still without something to do for the event. As much as Dan himself wished to address the situation, part of him felt like the entire conversation was moving just a little too fast for him to easily keep up.  
  
  “Um,” Arin said, “I hate to be the one to bring it up, but Dan and I still need something to do. I was thinking that maybe we could like work on like picking out like the music or something.”  
  
  Monika smiled smugly as she rested her hands on her hips. Arin’s eyes narrowed suspiciously, as if fearing that the Club President secretly had some hidden card or trick hidden up her sleeve and was daring him, or anyone else, to challenge her.  
  
  “Danny will be working with me,” she said confidently, “You can help out either Yuri or Natsuki, Arin.”.  
  
  The remaining club members exchanged incredulous looks with one another. Dan opened his mouth to speak, but found the words mysteriously lost to him. He was just as much of a member of this club as anyone else. Shouldn’t they at very least, let him have some input on this decision before just assigning him a partner?   
  
  But then, he thought, he wasn’t sure that Monika had really even given them an option before deciding that they were going to be doing a poetry event. Or at the very least, he couldn’t recall them reaching that decision yesterday.   
  
  “Wait, you?!” Natsuki yelped, slamming her hands on her desk, “You have the easiest job, Monika!”   
  
  “Sorry,” Monika sighed, “But that’s just how it is.”  
  
  Granted, while Dan understood Monika’s need to make an executive decision, and her desire to want to be alone with him, he still felt that there was probably a better way to divide up their labor in a way that made sense.  
  
  Beside him, Natsuki seemed to agree, though more aggressively, as she growled, a furious expression dancing dangerously on her face.  
  
  “Like hell it is,” Natsuki snapped, “What are you trying to pull?!”  
  
  “I-I agree with Natsuki,” Yuri added, standing up as well, “Not only is your work already most suited for one person, but mine is laborious enough to require an extra pair of hands.”  
  
  “Mine too!” Natsuki added.  
  
  The purple haired girl raised an eyebrow as she looked amusedly down at her shorter, pink haired rival.   
  
  “What?” she scoffed, “Your cupcakes? Please. Besides, I suppose that you could just bully Arin into helping you.”  
  
  Natsuki growled again, stamping her foot as she balled her hands into fists again, holding them closely at her sides, as if to restrain herself. Concerned, Dan started to move, attempting to calm Natsuki down, only to be shrugged off by the petite girl as she continued to glare at the taller, purple haired girl.  
  
  “Like you would fucking know, Yuri!” Natsuki cried, “All you care about now is dragging Danny around with you and your stupid books. You and Monika!”  
  
  “Hey!” Monika interjected, “I didn’t even do anything!”  
  
  “Really?” Natsuki sneered, “Then why not let Danny decide who he wants to help, instead of abusing your power.”  
  
  “I’m not abusing my power!” Monika insisted, “I just thought---”  
  
  “---Yes you are, Monika!” Yuri snapped, “Just let Danny make the choice, okay?”  
  
  “Okay,” Monika sighed, shaking her head as she tiredly rubbed her forehead, “Fine.”  
  
  Natsuki sighed, resting her hand on her hip as she glared at Monika and Yuri before turning her attention to Dan, and continuing, tapping her foot impatiently.  
  
  “Geez,” she said, “I know how fed up you must be getting with everyone right now, so we can just----”  
  
  “---Shut your fucking mouth, Natsuki!” Yuri snapped, startling everyone, “And let him decide for himself.”  
  
  “You shut _your_ fucking mouth!” Natsuki snapped.  
  
  “Hey,” Arin sighed, as he stepped in between the two girls, “Everyone calm down, alright? Now, there’s no need for all this fighting, okay? We’re all supposed to be friends, right? Look, I think there might be a way that we can work this out, and still have everyone divide the work out fairly. What if we just all got together and----”  
  
  “---Stay the fuck out of this, Arin!” Both Natsuki and Yuri said in unison, glaring at the bespectacled man.  
  
  “This is between us and Monika,” Natsuki snapped, “Not you.”  
  
  “Indeed,” Yuri agreed, “Don’t try to meddle or interfere in discussions that you have no business being a part of. You’ll only make things worse.”  
  
  Stunned, Arin sat down, quietly folding his hands in his lap as he stared despondently down at his desk, unsure of how to react to the harshness of Natsuki and Yuri’s words, and not wanting to make matters worse.  
  
  
  “Jeezus Christ,” Monika sighed, exasperated, “This is never going to end. Just make the choice already.”  
  
  Suddenly, several pairs of eyes were once again on Dan, making the curly haired man feel his stomach churn uncomfortably with anxiety, as he felt the laser heat of their eyes burning into his skull, each expectantly waiting for an answer.  
  
  How had he gotten himself into this, again? He wondered. Why did everyone in the Literature Club seem to see him as enough of a charismatic, popular guy that they’d be willing to fight over him just for the chance to be around him?   
  
  His mind swirled, buzzing with static as he thought of his options.   
  
  Part of him wanted to just tell everyone that he picked nobody, and that it was stupid for them to be fighting over him in the first place. They were all supposed to be friends, and he hated that he felt like his presence in this club was destroying that.    
  
  It was unfair, and not to mention rude, of everyone to be fighting over who got to spend time working with him, while they treated Arin like he was some kind of disgusting, disease carrying bug that had crawled on their shoe. If anything, it felt like Arin at least had been trying to help keep things civil between everyone, even if he wasn’t successful.  
  
  Maybe they should listen and see what Arin’s idea was before so quickly dismissing it?  
  
  No, a little voice in his head reminded him, Monika had already decided how things were going to go, and there was no way that there was no reason to change that.  
  
  But, he countered, what if he worked with either Yuri or Natsuki? After all, both had argued that Monika’s pamphlets required the least amount of effort, while theirs needed a little extra help?   
  
  No, the voice insisted again, Natsuki and Yuri were overreacting. Besides, Monika seemed pretty insistent on having him work alone with her on the pamphlets, even if it was an easy task. And, he’d spent so much time with everyone else in the Literature Club already, that it wasn’t exactly fair to deny Monika a chance to spend some time alone with him.  
  
  After all, the closest they’d come to actually spending time alone together, had been the brief few minutes after everyone had stormed off after the meetings the previous two days. And both instances had been cut short by one occurrence or another.  
  
  His mind felt like he it was stuck on a broken record. Every time he tried to make a reasonable case for working with one of the others, or for having everyone work together to avoid it all together, it felt as if his mind was being pulled back to arguing that Monika was the only reasonable, or logical option. Or at the very least, the only option that wasn’t going to have dire consequences on the world itself.  
  
  It was as if the world had gripped his mind, pulling him toward Monika, as he stared at her. She seemed almost to radiate with light as she smiled sweetly at him, coyly waving as she noticed him looking at her. Her emerald eyes seemed to follow him, sparkling in the light of the clubroom, making her seem almost unearthly.  
  
  He felt as if an invisible hand pried open his mouth as he spoke, moving his lips to form the sounds of Monika’s name without him wanting to escape. As Monika beamed, much to the dismay of the other club members, Dan felt the claw like grip on his body and mind subside, leaving him once more dazed and confused over what had just happened.   
  
  “Yay!” she cheered, “You picked me! We can hang out at your house this weekend! It’ll be fun. Is Sunday okay with you?”

  Beside him, he could feel the heat radiating of Arin’s face like a fire as he crossed his arms, glaring at Monika with a look of betrayal and fury that reddened his face. His body shook as he gripped the desk tightly, his knuckles turning white, as it took all of his energy to bite his tongue.   
  
  However, Natsuki and Yuri did not seem as able to restrain themselves.  
  
  “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Natsuki snapped as she glared furiously at Monika, “That’s not fair at all!”  
  
  “It is fair,” Monika countered calmly, “It’s what he chose.”

  
  Again, Arin gripped the desk tighter, his hands threatening to break the surface beneath, as if it were made out of dry toast, rather than wood. Through gritted teeth he mumbled dark curses that Dan could barely hear.  
  
  “ _He didn’t_ ….” Arin growled under his breath to himself, “ _You did_ ….”  
  
  “No,” Yuri exclaimed, ignoring Arin as she looked sharply at Monika, “It’s not fair. Giving us all this work and then taking Danny for yourself? What a shameful thing to do!”  
  
  
  Once more Monika sighed, though seemed ultimately unfazed by her fellow club member’s remarks.   
  
  “Yuri,” she pointed out, “I didn’t even give you any work. You volunteered yourself for that, remember? You’re being a little unreasonable.”  
  
  Yuri’s eyes widened, as a she clutched her hand to her chest, as if shocked and offended that Monika would even dare suggest anything as ludicrous as that her complaints were unreasonable.   
  
  From his desk, Dan watched on in silent distress, wanting nothing more than to slip out of the room and give everyone a little while to calm down before anything dangerous happened. But, he knew that he couldn’t escape, not without drawing the attention of his angry clubmates.  
  
  “ _I’m_ being unreasonable?!” Yuri laughed humorlessly, “Monika, I can’t believe how delusional and self-important _you_ are! Pulling Danny away from me every time you’re not included in something. Are you jealous? Crazy? Or maybe you just hate yourself so much you take it out on others?”  
  
  The purple haired girl leaned over her desk, looking Monika in the eyes as she lowered her voice, her tone laced with as much venom and hatred that her body was capable of producing.  
  
  “I have a suggestion,” she hissed coldly, a twisted grin spreading across her face “Have you considered _killing yourself_? It’d be beneficial to your mental health.”  
  
  For the first time since the conversation began, even Monika seemed to be taken aback by Yuri’s cold-hearted suggestion. In fact, everyone was now looking at the purple haired girl with shocked, dumbfounded expressions. This was too far, Dan thought, even for as strange as Yuri was acting lately.   
  
  “Yuri….” Dan began, unable to form the words, “I----”  
  
  However, Yuri seemed not to notice, a pained laugh escaping her lips as she continued to stare wildly up at Monika through the long purple locks of hair that had fallen over her eye.  
  
  “Yuri,” Natsuki said tepidly, “You're starting to scare us. T-this isn’t like you at all.”  
  
  The petite girl slowly tried to reach out, to consul her fellow club member, but found her hand stopped as Monika rested her own hand on her shoulder. Solemnly, Monika shook her head, warning the other girl that it wouldn’t do any good to try to offer help or comfort at that moment.  
  
  “Natsuki,” she said, “Let’s just go. I don’t think she wants us around right now.”  
  
  “See?!” Yuri grinned mockingly, “It wasn’t that hard! All I want is to spend a little time with him.”  
  
  Possessively, she snaked her arm around Dan’s arm, pulling him close. Despite his efforts, he once more found her grip to be almost supernaturally strong, threatening to snap his arm, should he try to struggle.   
  
  Pleadingly, he looked at Arin, silently begging for him to stay and help him talk to Yuri, hoping that the two of them, at least,  could manage to convince her that she was out of control, and that she needed to seek help.   
  
  Arin looked hesitant, biting his lip as his eyes darted between Dan and Yuri. However, before he could speak, Yuri had already ushered him, Natsuki and Monika to the door. The other man seemed reluctant to leave, as he tried to push himself back into the room.   
  
  “Yuri,” he began, “I don’t think----”  
  
However, no sooner had he set his foot across the threshold of the door, did Yuri let out an animalistic growl, bodily shoving him backwards into the hallway before she hastily locked the door behind her, trapping herself and Dan in the room together.  
  
   The purple haired girl sighed, smiling to herself as she returned to Dan. Nervously, the tall man’s muscles tensed, drawing his shoulders to his ears as he weakly tried to muster up even a semblance of casual bravado, in hopes that if he pretended enough, he might actually trick himself into not feeling as terrifed as he felt at that moment.  
  
  “Ah,” she sighed, taking his hand as she rubbed it against her cheek “Finally! This is all I wanted.”  
  
  “Listen” Dan began sternly, wrenching his hand away “I really feel like we should talk about what’s going on here. This isn’t you, Yuri…..”  
  
 However, the purple haired girl seemed not to notice or care as she giggled again, wringing her hands together as she folded them in front of her chest. A troubling, empty look glazed her eyes, as if she were staring at something far away.  
  
  “Danny,” she said, “there’s no need to spend the weekend with Monika. Don’t listen to her. Just come to my house, instead.”

  Once more she sighed, her eyelids fluttering euphorically at the thought of the two of them, alone at her house, spending the day together with nobody to interrupt them.  
  
  “The whole day,” she sighed dreamily, “Just the two of us. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”  
  
  Dan said nothing, unable to speak as the purple haired girl laughed coldly. Her laugh seemed more like a pained scream than a joyful laugh. His skin crawled as he felt goosebumps raising the hair on his skin.  
  
  Why wouldn’t she listen to him? He wondered. Was she really that lost to her own daydreams and delusions that not even he could reach her? No, he thought, there still had to be some reasonable part of Yuri left in there. It was just a matter of reaching out to that small shred of sanity, pulling it forward long enough for it to take root.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” she laughed weakly, “There really must be something wrong with me, isn’t there?”  
  
  Dan sighed to himself. At least she seemed vaguely aware that there was a problem. At least it meant that there was still a chance to help her. But, like the delicate light of a candle being extinguished by a cold wind, what little hope he felt evaporated as Yuri grinned again, her eyes becoming even more glazed and unfocused.  
  
  “But, you know what?” she exclaimed, “I don’t care, anymore! I’ve never felt this good in my whole life! Just being with you is a far greater thing than I could ever imagine. I’m addicted to you….”  
  
   Slowly, she leaned forward, attempting to grab his hand again, only for Dan to subtly flinch. However, she once more didn’t seem to notice or care, as a fevered blush painted her pale cheeks.   
  
  “I feel like I’ll die if I’m not breathing the same air as you,” she admitted, “Doesn’t it feel nice to have someone care about you so much?”  
  
  “Yuri,” he begged, as tears stung the corners of his eyes,“Yuri, please stop this----”  
  
  “---to have someone who wants to revolve their entire life around you?” she continued, humming to herself, “But, if it feels good, then why does it feel more and more like something bad is going to happen?”  
  
  She sighed, dramatically pulling herself away as she turned her back to him, staring down at her wrists. Idly, she folded back her sleeve, uncovering the thin, red scars that littered her left arm, before clutching that arm to her chest.  
  
  “Maybe,” she said softly, “That’s why I tried stopping myself at first. But the feeling is too strong now.”

  
Quickly, she spun around again, looking at Dan with a hungry, desperate look in her glazed purple eyes.   
  
  “I don’t care anymore, Danny!” she cried, “I have to tell you! I-I’m madly in love with you!”  
  
  Dan sighed, his brown eyes filled with pity and pain as he stared at Yuri, her chest heaving in shallow breaths as she grinned at him. Please don’t do this to yourself, Yuri, He thought as tears began to sting his eyes, blurring his vision. Don’t say things you don’t mean. Don’t say things that are gonna break your heart later.  
  
  “It feels like every inch of my body---every drop of me---is screaming your name.” she said, “I don’t care what the consequences are anymore! I don’t care if Monika is listening! I don’t care if Arin tries talking sense into me! I just don’t care anymore.”  
  
  Breathing sharply, she took Dan’s hand again, gently kneading circles into his skin, sending small electric shocks of panic up his skin, as he tried to pull his hand away again.   
  
  “Please, Danny,” she breathed, “Just know how much I love you. I love you so much that I even touched myself with that pen I stole from you!”  
  
  “Stole?” Dan asked, “You said that that pen fell out of my backpack.”  
  
  Her touch became rougher as she kneaded his skin harder, taking his hand even more tightly in her already vice-like grip. Her eyes softened fondly as she gently twisted his hand, staring transfixedly at his skin  
  
  “I just want to pull your skin open,” she said, “and crawl inside of you. I want you all to myself. And I will only be yours.”  
  
  Now, Dan’s body trembled, as the fragile dam that had been holding back the panic that had been welling up in inside of him started to break. His breath came in shallow, ragged sighs as he struggled to fight his instincts to flee toward the door, remembering that Yuri already locked the door.  
  
  “Doesn’t that sound wonderful?” she asked, “Tell me, Danny. Tell me that you want to be my lover. Do you accept my confession?”  
  
  This had gone too far, Dan thought as he once more wrenched his hand away. He couldn’t tell her that he loved her, he told himself. Sure, Yuri might have been his friend, but that was it. He didn’t feel anything more than her than a platonic fondness.

  
  If he told her that he loved her the way she believed she loved him, then he was only feeding into her dangerous delusions, possibly sending her over the edge.

  But, he thought, at the same time, rejecting her would probably dangerously set her over the edge as well.   
  
  Damn it, he thought to himself, he had to say something.  He couldn’t  just stand here and say nothing. The more he stood there, saying nothing, the more Yuri became dangerously lost in the fantasy world that she had created for herself in order to escape from reality.   
  
  “Yuri, I can’t.” he said, his voice shaking, “I don’t feel that way about you. Don’t get me wrong, I do like you. But, I like you as a friend. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”  
  
  
  There’s no turning back now, he thought. Even if it hurt her, she needed to listen. She needed to hear what he was saying.   
  
  “Yuri,” he continued, each word feeling like a punch to the gut, “I know that I’ve only known you for a few days, but you haven’t been acting like yourself. And, I-I think you need help. Look, everyone really cares about you. We don’t want to see you get hurt.”  
  
  Dan breathed heavily, the words rolling off his tongue before he could stop them.Yuri stared at him, her face paling and her eyes wide as Dan’s words pierced through the eggshell barrier of her daydreams, allowing cold realization to seep into her hazy bubble.   
   
  A moment of tense, stunned silence passed between them as the purple haired girl and himself. Nervously, he held his breath as she stared down at her hands, her eyes wide as she seemed to process his words in her head.   
  
  Suddenly, a sharp, manic laughter bubbled forth from her lips, cracking the still air like thunder. Panic turned into pure terror as he watched her slowly reach into the pocket of her jacket.  
  
  Time seemed to move in slow motion as she withdrew the small knife from her pocket. The pearl handle shimmered in the light of the late afternoon sun. The steel blade glinted with a cold rainbow, menacingly flashing as she stretched her arm out, pointing it toward herself.  
  
  Shaking his head, fear pumping through his veins as the tip of the blade drew closer, precariously hovering just inches from her chest.   
  
  Damn it, he shouted at himself, struggling against the heavy weight of fear pinning his muscles in place like a beetle being pinned against a taxidermists board, I have to do something!     
  
  Vivid images of Sayori’s corpse flashed across his mind in rapid succession. He hadn’t been able to save her, a little voice in his head reminded him. He’d let fear and panic take a hold of him, leaving him unable to do little more as she broke down, choosing to escape her pain the only way her desperation told her she was able to.  
  
  Any second now, he thought, that blade would plunge into her body, staining her delicate form with scarlet as crimson blood poured forth from the gaping hole, slowly draining her life from her body.   
  
  And it would be his fault, he thought, as the blade would strike again and again, mercilessly spilling forth what little life she had left until she collapsed into a lifeless heap on the floor of the club room.  
  
  He might not have been able to save Sayori.  
  
  But he wasn’t about to let the same thing happen again.

  In a blur of motion, Dan found his limbs moving of their own accord, as if he were a puppet being guided by an invisible force. Before he even realized it, he felt his hand wrap around Yuri’s wrist. The knife still hovered inches from her chest, but did not move any closer.   
  
  The purple haired girl looked at him wildly, her teeth bared in a snarl like a rabid wolf threatening a rival wolf. She squirmed, trying to break free of his grip, but his hand refused to yield.   
  
  “Listen to me,” he said, the words once more escaping his lips without warning“This isn’t love. Love doesn’t ask you to kill yourself for it.”  
  
  Yuri screamed, violently wrenching her arm away as she broke free of Dan’s hold, sending him slamming hard against the chalkboard as she breathed heavy, rasping breaths once more, as she held the knife at her side, the blade no longer aimed at herself. Her long, purple hair seemed disheveled as it fell over one eye.   
  
    Like a hyena she laughed again, sending chills shooting up Dan’s spine, as she raised the blade, skillfully flipping the blade in her hands toward him. Pain shot through his skull, his vision swimming as he swayed on his feet from the impact of smashing into the chalkboard. He was almost sure that if he looked behind him in that moment, he would have seen a small crater where he’d collided with the board.  
  
  “Ahahahaha,” Yuri rasped, “You….you broke my heart. So, I’ll just _take_ yours!!”  
  
  Like a panther pouncing on its helpless prey, Yuri leapt across the room, aiming her knife straight toward his heart. Instinctively, Dan closed his eyes tightly, throwing his arms over his face as he twisted his body away from her.   
  
  Her hollow, deranged laugh filled his ears as he felt a rush of wind bear down upon him. He was going to die, he thought to himself. He couldn’t run. His back was against a wall, and she was too close and too determined to let him escape. Even if he could run, it wouldn’t do him any good, he reasoned, everyone had probably already gone home by now and wouldn’t be able to hear him screaming for help.  
  
  Not that they’d be able to do anything, he reasoned. Yuri had made sure that the door was locked behind them. He could feel the blade, ghosting over his chest, as she laughed again, pinning him down with her free hand as she prepared to plunge the dagger through his skin.  
  
  He was trapped.  
  
  He was terrified  
  
  He was alone.  
  
  Suddenly, A familiar, glowing warmth radiated from the bracelet on his wrist. But this time, it was different, this time the warmth grew, seeming to almost burst forth in a bubble of brilliant light, as the faded, worn out coin cracked, the remains of the bracelet falling uselessly to the ground below.   
  
A powerful gust of wind, like a sonic blast, emitted as the rapidly growing bubble burst, as he felt Yuri’s weight being thrown off of him, allowing him to slowly open his eyes.   
  
  “.… _Arin?!_ ”  
  
    The sight he saw before him seemed almost like something out of an anime. Arin stood before him, a glowing, though rapidly fading, aura haloing his body like pulsing fire,. A cold wind, like a tornado, danced across the room, rustling the man’s now untied hair dramatically across his face as he planted his feet into the ground in a defensive stance.  
  
  Tiny shards of glass, having been blasted from the large square holes that had once been windows, floated in the space between the other man and the purple haired woman like flakes of snow, seeming to vanish before they hit the ground. Tiny rainbows danced across the room as the glass crystals caught the fiery reds and oranges of the sunset now streaming freely into the darkened classroom.  
  
  Yet, neither Arin nor Yuri seemed to notice this, as they squared off against one another. The purple haired girl gripped her arm as she pulled herself back to her feet, baring her teeth in a fanged scowl. Once more the blade in her hand flashed, thirsting for blood, as she curled her fingers more tightly around the pearl hilt.   
  
  “Yuri,” Arin said, “Don’t do this. This isn’t who you really are.”  
  
  Again, a maniacal, humorless laughed rang through the air, as Yuri threw her head back, swaying on her feet as she stared at the other man through her long locks of violet hair with wide, snake-like eyes.  
  
  “You, of all people, are trying to tell me who I really am” Yuri rasped, as she pointed the knife at Arin, “When you’ve been lying to Danny about who you really are this entire time? When you haven’t told Danny the truth about himself?!”  
  
  Arin’s eyes widened, as his muscles tensed, looking as if he’d been stabbed in the back, despite the fact Yuri herself hadn’t moved. Confused, Dan looked between the two of them, hoping that at least one of them would remember he was there long enough to explain what was going on.  
  
  What did she mean? He wondered. He knew exactly who both he and Arin were. Arin was a loner transfer student from Asagao Academy who’d joined the Literature Club a short time before he had. Sure, Arin was fairly aloof, and didn’t often talk about the reasons he’d transferred, or what had provoked him to join the Literature Club in the first place, but that was just how he was.  
  
  As for himself, he had been fairly sure that he was just an average high school student, drifting aimlessly through his four years of life. He knew that after college, he wanted to become a musician and start a band. He’d been convinced to join the Literature Club by his childhood friend---  
  
  ---No, he corrected himself.  It’d been Monika that had convinced him to visit the Literature Club.   
  
  All these things he knew to be true, he thought. So, why was there this part in the back of his mind screamed loudly, arguing that that was false? That wasn’t who either of them were. Why could he not speak these thoughts with absolute certainty.   
  
  Who was Arin Hanson?  
  
  Who was Dan Avidan?  
  
  “Arin,” Dan asked, “What is she talking about?”  
  
  Arin said nothing, his eyes narrowing, obscured by the glare of the sunset as he shot a stern look at the other man before returning his attention to the purple haired girl, her body twitching as she stumbled forward, as if her limbs were being controlled by an invisible force that had only the basic semblance of what human movement was supposed to look like.

  Maybe it was the fact that he was simply too confused and scared to properly process his surroundings, but Dan couldn’t help but liken her jerky movements to that of the Nurse monsters from _Silent Hill_.   
  
  Get serious, dude, He scolded himself, Now’s not the time to be making video game and horror movie references.  
  
  “Dan, get behind the desk,” Arin ordered, reinforcing his defensive stance as he braced himself for Yuri’s attack, “and don’t move.”  
  
  Nodding, the curly haired man quickly ducked behind the teacher’s desk, just in time to narrowly avoid being caught by Yuri, as her knife struck against the chalk board, having been deflected by a skillful, well timed sidestep by Arin.  So close Dan had been from being stabbed in the face, that he felt the wind of Yuri’s attack brush him, just grazing his hair enough to snap the band that he’d used to keep his wild mass of chestnut curls in place.   
  
  Snarling, Yuri spun around, fire blazing in her eyes as she swung again, attempting another stab at the larger man.   
  
  “Ahahahaa,” Yuri laughed maniacally, her laugh seeming more like a scream of pain, “Monika warned me that you’d try to take him from me! _**I’LL KILL YOU BEFORE THAT HAPPENS**_!”  
  
  Minutes dragged into what felt like tense hours as Dan watched the two fighting. Skillfully, like an artfully choreograph dance, the two leapt over desks and circled the room, weaving between each other. And yet, Dan could tell that the two were fighting on two different levels.   
  
  Arin, his movements agile and fluid as he ducked around another barrage of stabs, was clearly not aiming to kill, but rather to disarm and hopefully trick Yuri into wearing herself down. That wasn’t to say that his strategy was perfect, as that the purple haired girl had managed to leave a few, lucky, shallow cuts on the other man, tearing into the fabric of his uniform, as thin trickles of blood welled up on the exposed, pale surface.  
  
  However, Yuri, her own attacks erratic and jerking, seemed unpredictable, swinging aimlessly in a blind rage, her thoughts too focused on hurting the man before her to think of a proper strategy. Of the two, she was clearly the most dangerous one in the fight, as that she aimed to kill, rather than subdue.  
  
  Soon, however, the other man found an opening, once more sidestepping as she lunged at him again. Under his breath, he apologized to the violet eyed young woman as he stuck out his leg, sweeping forward as he tripped her. Gasping, the girl tumbled forward, sticking out her arms to prevent her face from colliding into the hard wooden floor.   
  
  A skittering echoed across the stillness as the knife slipped out of her hand, sliding a few inches away from her as it bumped against the leg of the deskchair beside her. Slowly and cautiously, Arin approached her, gently kneeling as he helped her to her knees.   
  
  Cautiously, Dan crawled out from under the desk, shakily hovering between the two and the safety of the desk behind him, ready to retreat should the chaos once more ensue.  
  
  Like a shift in the wind, it seemed as if a change had come over the purple haired girl. Her violet eyes no longer seemed hollow and lifeless as they looked up at Arin uncertainly, like she had just woken up in the middle of the classroom.   
  
  “A-Arin….” she whispered, “W-what’s….?”  
  
  Her eyes widened fearfully, choking back a strangled sob, as she saw the knife laying on the floor beside her, thin ribbons of blood dripping from the polished blade. Gently, but firmly, Arin gripped Yuri’s shoulders, guiding her line of sight away from the knife. Her body trembled as she clutched her chest, burying herself into Arin’s chest.  
  
  “I don’t know what’s going on anymore,” she sobbed, tears rolling freely down her burning cheeks, “I-it hurts so much! I just….I want it to stop! P-please, make it stop!!!”  
  
  Arin’s deep brown eyes softened sadly as he pulled her close, wrapping his strong arms around her in a protective, comforting hug. Long minutes of silence passed between them, only broken by the muffled sobs of the purple haired girl.   
  
  Once more, flashes of Sayori passed across Dan’s mind, as a new memory returned to him. He’d remembered Arin quietly comforting the peach haired girl, too. He remembered feeling a tug of relief warming his heart, only quickly to be quashed as the haunting echoes of a distant piano echoed around the dark room, heralding the oncoming nightmare.   
  
  Dan tensed, his ears straining to hear any sort of faint echos of music, before he allowed himself to breath once more.  
  
  “Yuri,” Arin said, his voice calm but stern, “This isn’t you. Something has been manipulating you, making you act like something you weren’t supposed to be. But, you can fight this---I know you can. You’re a lot stronger than you realize.”  
  
  Yuri’s sobs quieted, as her body stilled in Arin’s hands. Dan felt a prickling of impending terror rising on the back of his neck as he watched Yuri’s gaze slowly lower toward the knife. He could almost see a million thoughts running through her head at once, seeming to sort through a million possibilities.   
  
  He watched as her purple gaze became cold, drifting away from the knife toward the book laying on the floor across the room, having been left abandoned beside the overturned teacups on the floor.   
  
  “Arin,” Yuri said, “I…I think I understand, now. Give me the book.”  
  
  Hesitantly, Arin looked between her, the Portrait of Markov, and the knife on the floor, unsure if he truly wanted to leave her alone for even one second. However, he relented as Yuri stared at him, a cold determination that neither he nor Dan had ever seen in her eyes, shone like a diamond.   
  
  Curiously, Dan watched, feeling almost as if he were invisible, as he watched Arin gingerly carried the book, as if he were afraid that it contained some highly contagious disease. Strange, ominous vibes radiated from the elegant, mystical eye symbol that seemed to glow upon the cover of the book as Arin knelt again sitting it between them.  
  
  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Arin asked, “I mean, maybe I should----”  
  
  “No,” Yuri shook her head as she closed her fingers around the hilt of the knife, “I-I can do this.”  
  
  Holding their breath, the two men looked on as Yuri lifted the knife, it’s blade hovering downward toward the eye in the center of the book, drops of not yet dried blood from the fight splashing onto the novel’s surface.  
  
  More than ever, Dan wished that this scene made any sort of sense to him, as he felt his entire being transfixed on the pulsing, evil aura that glowed from the eye like a warning. What importance did this strange little horror novel have toward the strange, obsessive way that Yuri had been acting the previous few days? What kind of evil, unknowable energy was contained in this book? Would destroying it truly end this nightmare, or would it perhaps unleash something darker upon the universe?  
  
  Yuri’s hand stilled, hovering an inch from the eye symbol. Her own eyes seemed glazed and far away as they stared transfixed at the ominous symbol. It was as if the symbol were talking to her, whispering warnings to her of the dire consequences that would befall her should she destroy it.   
  
  Dan could almost see the aura’s green tendrils snaking into the purple haired girl’s mind, shifting memories and twisting thoughts as it tried to manipulate her once more.    
  
  For a moment, her form flickered, caught between two states of reality, one a normal reality and the other a nightmarish, glitching hellscape, as she struggled to lower her hand.   
  
  “Come on, Yuri!” Arin begged “Fight this! You can do this!!”  
  
  Something didn’t feel right, Dan thought as he watched silently. He couldn’t place what it was, but he felt as if something were terribly wrong about the book. But it wasn’t just because the symbol now flashed with a blinding light that seemed to burst forth from the cover. Something about the aura itself seemed wrong, he thought. if it were only a copycat mimicking some more powerful and deadly force hidden elsewhere.  
  
  “Yuri,” he shouted, as he tried to intercept “Wait!!!”  
  
  But, it was too late. As the light burst forth from the cover, the purple haired girl screamed, her form once more flickering once more again. The two men jumped, shocked as they watched the wide-eyed, manic, beast-like wildness that had twisted her features moments before.   
  
  However, there was a glimmer of fearful terror in her eyes,pleading for help, as crystal tears rolled down her cheeks. The two men watched helplessly unable to react quickly enough as her hands moved of their own accord, flickering as the silver dagger changed direction, plunging itself deeply into her heaving chest.   
  
  Rapidly, the light in her eyes began to fade like dying candlelight as her shaking hands withdrew the blade. Deep red, almost black, stained the silver blade as it fell from her limp hand, matching the thick stream that blossomed from her heart, pooling onto the floor as her slowly dying body collapsed to the floor.   
  
  “Yuri!” Arin cried out,, tears choking his voice as he caught her body, gently shaking her.  
  
  “I--I’m sorry….” Yuri coughed, spurts of crimson rolling down the corner of her mouth as she spoke, “I…I c-couldn’t do it. S-she’s in my head….I c-couldn’t stop her. I’m s-sorry.”  
  
  _No_ , Dan thought, shaking his head in panic as he watched as the other man gently lowered Yuri’s corpse to the ground. _This can’t be happening! Tell me that this is some nightmare. Tell me that I’ll wake up, and that everything will be fixed. That Yuri won’t be dead, that Sayori won’t be dead, and that everything will be normal again_ ….  
  
  “ _GODDAMN IT_!”  
  
  A howling, enraged cry shook the walls of the far too quiet classroom as Arin screamed. Tears, having been held in check far too long, burst forth, streaming down the other man’s cheeks as he grabbed the knife out of Yuri’s hands.   
  
  Angrily, he bared down upon the book, piercing through the symbol of the eye on the book without hesitation. Suddenly, another flash of light burst from the symbol, as a hissing, dying scream echoed from it, before the book fractured, dissolving like dust in the wind.   
  
  The larger man heaved, breathing heavily as he fought for each breath that his tears would not allow him to take, as he dropped the knife, staring down at Yuri’s lifeless body.  
  
  “Arin?” Dan asked, “What’s going on? Is Yuri----?”  
  
  There was something almost frightening in the quiet rage that seethed through the larger man’s form as Dan slowly approached him. In all the time that he had known Arin, he’d never seen the other man get this outright furious. Even when he argued with Monika, he’d been restrained.   
  
  It was as if nearly a month’s worth of anger and frustration had been bubbling within the man, like a kettle full of boiling tea, pressure rising inside of him until the dam broke, releasing it all at once.   
  
  “Arin….” Dan repeated, his own panic rising in his voice, only to find himself cut off as the other man spoke.  
  
  “ _Enough_.” Arin growled, mostly to himself, “Too many people gotten hurt because of this. No more lies. No more games. I’m tired of this shit….”  
  
  Slowly, Arin clambered to his feet. The glare of the rapidly fading sunset in his glasses made him seem almost threateningly otherworldly as he slowly approached Dan, forcing him to instinctively take a step back.  
  
  Before Dan could react or speak, the other man grabbed his arm. Flashes of fire and light, seeming alien to the room around them, flickered in Arin’s glasses as he closed his eyes.   
  
  Without warning, Dan felt as if the room were dissolving around them, as they were being lifted into the void. His head spun, feeling as if he were unable to breathe as he no longer could tell which was was up or down. The ground had fell out from under their feet, as he instinctively took hold of Arin’s other hand, knowing that, at least, the other man was the only other man existing at the moment.   
  
  “It’s time,” Arin said quietly, his voice echoing in the void, “It’s time that I told you the truth, Dan. About me. About you. About Everything.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  


 


	14. Danny, Don't You Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again to everyone for continuing to read, enjoy and leave feedback on this story! Apologies for not being able to post this at the end of November like I'd planned to. I kind of got sidetracked with a few things. Anyways, now that we’re at least three or four chapters from the ending, it’s time to start uncovering the the mysteries and bringing things to a close. I hope you all continue to read and enjoy! I’m just gonna warn you in advance that this chapter is going to be extremely dialogue and exposition heavy.

All of a sudden, Dan felt as if he’d been thrown out of a plan without a parachute. It felt almost like being on a roller coaster, teetering on the edge of the highest hill before sharply plummeting into the deepest valley. Blurs of colors rushed by him rapidly, forcing him to close his eyes, overwhelmed by the tempest of light and sound that washed over them.   
  
  There was barely even time for him process any of this, however, as he felt his feet touch solid ground once more. He blinked, barely seeming to register as Arin released his grip on his wrist, as he tried to gather his jumbled thoughts enough to take stock of his surroundings.  
  
  They were no longer in the classroom, he noted. Instead, dirty, gray concrete sprawled below them, broken in it’s pursuit of the endless black sky by a low, brick wall. Various, small fixtures of metal and concrete hummed quietly; its dull, comforting ambience magnified in the almost oppressive silence of the air.   
  
  Flickers of static flashed in the deep black emptiness above, like lightning illuminating a stormy night sky. Dan shivered as he felt a wind, devoid of both heat and cold, caressed his cheek, gently ruffling his wild curls.   
  
  Why were they on the roof of the school? He wondered vaguely to himself, too mystified and stunned to properly allow himself to properly process the events that had lead to his current predicament.   
  
  And yet, something about this place told him that it was more than just the roof of the school. He couldn’t explain what it was, but this space almost seemed bubbled off from the chaos that his everyday life had rapidly descended into. Time moved differently here. A single moment could be stretched into a eternity, slowing and standing still by just the force of one’s will.  
  
  “We should be safe here,” Arin said, snapping the other man from his daze as he tiredly collapsed against the low wall,“At least for a little while. I don’t know how long, though.”  
  
  “Where are we?” Dan asked, his mind still reeling in dazed shock as he stood there, staring up at the darkened sky in awe, “What is this?”  
  
  “It’s a subspace,” Arin explained calmly, “It’s sort of a secret area that we created that exists both within this world, but also like totally outside of it, too. Don’t really ask me how it works and everything---I’m not the guy who designed it.”  
  
  Despite himself, the other man smirked, casually brushing aside a lock brown-blonde hair that fallen over his eye. For the first time, Dan couldn’t help but feel that other man seemed almost like a completely different person. Sure, this man bared all the same physical features of the aloof transfer student that he knew, but small, subtle differences shadowed his form, altering his appearance.  
  
  For one, the squarish glasses that had guarded Arin’s brown eyes were gone, resting in his hands. Dark circles, like those belonging to a person who had not had a proper night’s sleep in over a solid month, haloed his eyes, making him seem far older and more tired than he should have.   
  
  A shadow of sadness hardened his frown, as painful memories danced in his mind, playing endlessly like a terrible song stuck on repeat with no way to turn it off. The fearful cautiousness in the other man’s eyes as he and Dan stared at each other reminded him of a scared puppy, cowering in a corner, afraid and uncertain that it’s rescuer truly did not mean harm.  
  
  And yet, there was something about this version of Arin that seemed simultaneously more real and hauntingly familiar to him than almost any time he could recall, save for what he believed to be a few hazy day dreams. Granted, he argued, the sadness and fear that painted the other man’s countenance seemed wrong. Such ugly sadness had no right to mar such bright, beautiful and kind soul, he believed.   
  
  “But then again,” Arin said, shrugging, “It’s not like you haven’t been here before. I mean, you probably don’t remember it, technically. Kind of an unfortunate side effect of having to reset the timeline before we could reach a natural conclusion, or you could be made aware of everything….”  
  
  Skeptically, Dan quirked an eyebrow as he listened to Arin talk. The more the other man talked, the more a deep, sinking feeling welled in the pit of Dan’s stomach. What the hell was Arin rambling about? He wondered. As far as he could remember, he’d never visited this part of the school, much less with anyone else.   
  
  And yet, somewhere in the hazy visions that danced beneath his eyelids, told him that he was wrong. Vaguely, he recalled the larger man leading him towards the small, dingy janitor’s closet that was separated from this place by only a narrow, rickety set of stairs toward the ceiling. He remembered the feeling of the rough, low brick wall against his back as the two sat there, laughing like old friends while he watched Arin try to teach him the basics of art.   
  
  He remembered staring down at the small, rose-colored notebook in Arin’s lap as he caught a glimpse of a drawing of himself, dressed in sparkling blue costume that he’d only seen in his secret, idle daydreams. It was impossible for his fellow club member to have known about this; after all, they had only known each other for less than two days at that point.   
  
  And yet, there it was, sketched out in colored pencil, as if he had somehow been able to peek inside Dan’s mind and copy the images of his daydreams.   
  
  Was it possible that Arin was right, and that that these daydreams were just residual memories from previous timelines that he’d experienced and forgotten about? Would that explain why he remembered Sayori? Had she been part of another timeline, but had failed to be properly revived in this one? Had Arin, or someone, been manipulating time in order to prevent her death, but had failed?    
  
  Was this broken existence, where everything felt askew, like a table missing one of it’s four legs, the result of that failure to keep the peach-haired girl alive long enough to make it to the festival?   
  
  What the fuck was he talking about? He thought as he vigorously shaking his head. That was impossible! People weren’t able to just mess with the flow of time and reality like that! People couldn’t just be erased from existence with a snap of someone’s fingers! At least, not outside of works of fiction, like comic books and movies, at least.  
  
  “Arin,” he asked, cutting the other man off before he could continue, “What the fuck are you talking about?!”  
  
  The other man sighed, running his fingers through his hair before continuing. Once more, a resigned air weighted his demeanor, like a prisoner walking along death row to meet their inevitable fate, as he squared his shoulders, staring deeply into the curly haired man’s eyes with quiet, but fierce determination.   
  
  “Dan,” he began, “Every time you’ve tried to think back on your past, do you get this weird feeling? Like, it feels like you’re watching three completely different movies about the same person’s life? Like, there’s two that say you’re a high-school student that joined a Literature Club and is destined to fall in love with one of your fellow club members? And then there’s this third version----where none of that is true? Where your daydreams about performing on stage felt more like the real you than this whole ‘high-school student’ identity?”  
  
   Again, the curly haired man felt a tingling chill crawling up his spine as Arin continued, again speaking details from his deepest, unspoken dreams as if they were simple, common knowledge. But, Dan thought to himself, once more shaking his head, there was no way that Arin could have possible known any of this. He’d never told anyone about these feelings, or of his visions.  
  
  Was Arin possibly psychic? He wondered. Unwarranted, yet another vague flash of a dream-like memory flashed through his mind. He remembered the two of them in the bathroom of his house; Dan was nursing a wound that Yuri had accidentally inflicted upon Arin while making decorations for school festival. He’d remembered the look of guilt and shame upon the other man’s face as he revealed that he’d known about Sayori’s secret depression.   
  
  He remembered the other man explaining that he had some sort of unspoken insight into certain details about people’s lives, without them even having told him.   
  
  Slowly, Dan nodded, unable to do more than continue to listen, as he felt a lump of fear and anticipation choke at him, stifling his words before they could even become sounds.  
  
  “---And you’ve been seeing a lot of weird little glitches, lately?” Arin continued, “Like, Yuri’s face going weird and her growling some sort of twisted words in a voice that wasn’t hers? Or Natsuki’s eyes going weird, begging you to play with her before snapping her own neck and trying to claw your eyes out---?”  
  
  “---I never told you about that?” Dan whispered awed, “How did you?”  
  
      “---And what about me?” Arin added, “When you look at me, do you feel something you can’t explain? Like this really strong feeling that we’ve met before, but you can’t remember where? Like, that we’ve known each other for a lot longer than we should have?”  
  
  Again, Dan nodded slowly, paralyzed by confusion. Again, his mind recalled another memory that logic told him he shouldn’t remember. He remembered the day they had done a poetry performance rehearsal in the club. He remembered Arin picking a high-energy song about a video game character that sounded vaguely familiar to Dan, as if somewhere he’d helped write the song himself. And then, he remembered his own performance.   
  
  He remembered feeling lost to the world as he recalled the ancient, lost melody of a song that he’d once written a long time ago, but never consciously recalled sharing with another human being.And yet, he remembered Arin singing along, as if he’d somehow heard it before, yet didn’t fully remember the words.   
  
  “W-what are you getting at, Arin?” Dan demanded, his voice shaking.   
  
  “I’m not a transfer student from Asagao Academy,” Arin said “Hell, Asagao Academy doesn’t even exist. It was a video game created by some people we know. Ross was the one who decided we should use it as part of my persona. We figured that if we had a believable cover story, then it’d be a little easier to move around here without accidentally alerting everyone’s suspicions. I mean, granted we had to do a little editing---”  
  
  This didn’t make sense, Dan thought to himself, his limbs trembling as Arin continued to ramble on. There was no way that Arin could have not been a transfer student, he thought. Why else would he have been there?! And what did he mean about not ‘alerting anyone’s suspicions?’ And who was Ross? He wondered.  
  
  Once more, a brief snippet of a vision flashed across his memories. For a brief moment, he once again found himself being mentally transported away from the stillness of the rooftop, and into a small room.   
  
  A television screen, displaying images of a game featuring skimpily dressed, anime-style women with fox-ears and tails, lit up the small room as he leaned back into the couch beside him. However, this time, he and Arin were not the only two people in the room.   
  
  A third man, with shorter brown hair and piercing blue eyes, sat between the two of them, a keyboard balanced on his lap as he pressed a button, moving the game’s dialogue forward. He remembered cringing, although laughing loudly, as the other man and Arin spoke the dialogue of the characters on screen, pitching their voices to an overly exaggerated falsetto in an attempt to make the characters sound highly feminine, but only really ended up being mildly irritating to listen to.   
  
  And, like his other vague daydreams, this one too faded as quickly as it had come. But, much like the two previous dreams, the images in this vision lingered a little longer, not yet willing to fully vanish from his memory, dismissed as nothing more than some hallucination.  
  
  “Dan,” Arin continued, “The truth is that neither of us actually belong here. This reality isn’t our reality.”  
  
  Dan felt as if the floor had been kicked out from under his feet as he felt a cold rush sweep through him, making him feel as if he were falling. A thousand voices buzzed in his head all at once, making him feel dizzy.   
  
  “No,”  he whispered in disbelief, shaking his head wildly as he consciously staggered backwards, “That’s not…..that can’t be right…..”.  
  
  The other man had to have been lying to him, he argued. There was simply no way that any of that was true. This reality couldn’t have been fake! Everything he knew told him that he was a high school student. He’d lived most of his life here, it told him.   
  
  He remembered too much from his childhood for everything to have been just an illusion. Closing his eyes, he tried to think back to any memory of his life prior to the day he joined the Literature Club. Even one small moment to confirm that the other man was lying, and that his existence in this universe was his true existence.  
  
  Vaguely, he thought he’d remembered a time when he was a kid, going to the beach with Sayori. But that too, felt too hazy and detached, as if he were viewing a grainy home movie of someone else’s experience. But, then, another part of him argued yet again, even if these memories had felt like his own, they couldn’t have been. Sayori didn’t exist, and he hadn’t ever known her. End of story.  
  
  Slowly, Dan tried to retreat, like a scared, confused animal being cornered by a hunter. His body trembled in fear as he found his back touching the wall of a large, concrete structure that had once been part of the exit back to the school below. Panicked, his hands groped at the structure, hoping to find a door to escape through, but quickly gave up as that a door no longer seemed to exist.  
  
  Despite this, Arin still continued, his voice gentle. As much as it hurt the other man to see his friend scared like this, these were words that still needed to be said. The words were out there, they both reasoned, there was no chance of backing down now even if he wanted to.   
  
  “Look,” Arin said, “I get it. Fuck, this all sounds insane to me, too.”” 

  Slowly, Dan released his grip on the wall, though his muscles remained tensed in a defensive posture. It wasn’t like he had much else of a choice, he reasoned. After all, it looked like the only escape available was jumping off the roof and praying that he landed safely in whatever solid ground was possibly obscured in the abyss below.  
  
  And honestly? He wasn’t about to risk it.   
  
  Besides, a small part of him argued, maybe he should listen. After all, it argued, Arin was one of his best friends, and he clearly didn’t mean any harm. And, the voice added, wasn’t this what he’d wanted this entire time? Hadn’t he wanted even the slightest hint at something that could make sense of all the strange, unexplained things happening around him?   
  
  “Do you really think,” Dan said skeptically, “That you can come up here, claiming to be my best friend, and then just tell me my entire life has been a fucking lie? And you just assume that I’m gonna believe that it’s true?”  
  
  “I’m not asking you to believe me,” Arin replied, “I’m just asking you to listen.”  
  
  “Alright,” Dan replied, defeatedly running his fingers through his hair, “I’ll listen. But, if this is all turns out to be some cruel, elaborate prank you’ve been trying to pull on me. ‘Cause I’m really not in the mood right now.”  
  
  “Fair enough,” Arin shrugged as he sat down on top of the low brick wall behind him, “Though you might want to sit down for this. It’s gonna be kind of a long story.”  
  
  Heavy silence passed between them in breathless anticipation as the curly haired man obeyed, sliding his back down the wall as he warily sat down. Curiously, Dan watched the other man’s face as a myriad of emotions raced across it as he silently relived each moment of his tale in reverse, searching for the right moment to begin.  
  
  “Okay,” Arin sighed finally, “So here’s what’s up: About six or seven years ago---”  
  
  “---Wait,” Dan interrupted, his voice rising with a panicked pitch, “Six years ago?! Are you telling me that we’ve been stuck in a time-loop for at least SIX YEARS?!”  
  
  “No,” the other man rolled his eyes, “I’m getting to it. So, anyways, about six or seven years ago, our friend Ross introduced me to your comedy band, called _Ninja Sex Party_ , with Brian. I e-mailed you about animating a music video for one of your songs, and a short time later we met and became friends when you moved to California from New Jersey. You, me and Brian eventually started up our own band, called _Starbomb_ , but that’s really neither here nor there at the moment.”  
  
  Arin smiled to himself, leaning back and swinging his legs slightly before continuing.  
  
  “Anyways,” he continued, “About five or six years ago, I started this show on Youtube called ‘ _Game Grumps_ ’ where we play video games and sort of talk over them. I was looking for a new co-host for the show, and I asked you if you wanted to do it, and you said yes. And, everything was fine, for a while.”  
  
  Once more, a dark look clouded the other man’s face as reluctantly recalled much more recent, though painful memories. Had Arin seemed like the type of person who smoked, Dan would have imagined that this would be the point where he would have taken a long smoke, heaving a ragged, smoke-filled sigh as he stared into the distance beyond the black void, like he was in some scene of some dramatic art-house film.  
  
  “A month ago,” Arin continued, “We came across this game called _Doki Doki Literature Club_. I’d heard a few things about the game beforehand. I knew that it was designed to look like your typical visual novel dating simulator, but had a horror twist to it.”  
  
  “Again,” Dan said, “I gotta stop you. So, this is all a video game, or something? Is that what you’re telling me?.”  
  
  “Not exactly,” Arin shook his head, “There was kind of something I didn’t know at the time. The version of the game that we had was a little different than normal. See, the ‘game’ is actually a lot more than a game. It’s an entire virtual, simulated universe that was created as sort of some old experiment dealing with unlocking people’s latent psychic abilities or something.”  
  
  “The Libitina Project?”  
  
  Solemnly, Arin nodded. The curly haired man’s stomach churned as his overactive imagination drew vivid, grotesque pictures of the twisted, deranged experiments that he recalled the purple haired girl had described to him with an lustful gleam in her eye. Arin had to be messing with him, he thought as he shook his head, forcefully trying to push the images from his mind. There was simply no way that something so twisted and cruel could possibly happen in this world.   
  
  But, if it were true, he wondered, what did it have to do with either of them? If Arin was correct, Dan was just a comedian and a singer, and Arin was an animator. There wasn’t anything outstandingly special about either of them that would have warranted having this experiment conducted upon them.  
  
  Besides, he reminded himself, hadn’t Arin earlier said that the Libitina Experiments happened sometime in the 1990s, decades before either of them had met each other and even been aware of the game or the experiment?   
  
  “Something,” Arin continued, “Or possibly someone, managed to pull your consciousness into this reality, casting you in the role of the game’s protagonist.”  
  
  “But, my memories----” Dan countered, quickly rising to his feet “I remember growing up here! I remember walking to school every day! If I’m really someone else--if I’m really some other Dan Avidan with a completely different life---then why can I remember this?”  
  
  “This universe,” Arin explained calmly, “or something that’s been influencing everything, fucked with your memories, implanting false ones to manipulate you into believing that you were part of this universe, for some reason. I guess that it thought that if you weren’t aware of what was going on, then you were easier to control, or something?  That’s why your memories seem inconsistent, Dan. That’s why you’ve been seeing weird glitches in reality lately. I think that part of you has been trying to fight against whatever’s been influencing things around here.”  
  
  “And the others?” Dan asked, swallowing thickly, “They’re just fictional characters?”  
  
  “I don’t think so,” Arin replied, “I mean, when I first came in here, I thought that Monika was the only one who could have probably been real, and that she might have been the only one responsible for everything. But, the more that me and the others were looking into it, I’m starting to think that that might not be the case entirely.”  
  
  “What do you mean?”  
  
  “I mean, I think that Monika and the others might have been involved in the original Libitina Project, and got trapped here.” Arin explained, “Unfortunately, they’ve probably been here so long that they’ve basically forgotten their old identities. Not only that, this universe keeps constantly shifting, that the Literature Club might not be the only roles they’ve been in this universe.”  
  
  Cautiously, the other man looked over his shoulder, as if checking to see if someone where standing behind him, before continuing, yet again.  
  
  “I think,” he continued, “That because the role of the Club President was originally designed to have some minor fourth-wall awareness and control, Monika was able to be somewhat aware of what this world is. But, at the same time, I kind of feel like she might not be as aware as she thinks she is, and because of that, the universe has been using her to get to the others, possibly to kill them?”  
  
  “If whatever it is is so powerful,” Dan asked, “Then why can’t it directly manipulate of destroy everyone? It’s clearly strong enough to make us all believe we’re different people, then why does it need to go through all this? Couldn’t it just kill all of us in one go and be done with it?”  
  
  “I don’t fucking know!” Arin sighed, as he stood up “ I barely even know what it is that’s controlling everything, much less what it wants! I don’t know if it’s just how the experiment was set up, or if there’s something else entirely going on. The most I know that whatever it’s been using Monika’s jealousy to drive things forward.”  
  
  “Jealously?” Dan quirked his eyebrows.  
  
  “Did you notice,” Arin replied, “That all the times that you were writing a poem, you kept convincing yourself not to write one for Monika?”  
  
  Slowly, Dan nodded, thinking back on the past few poetry sessions. Granted, he reasoned, most of that had just been the equivalent of making poetry out of refrigerator magnets. But, even then he remembered how difficult it had been to think of words that would have appealed to Monika. It was like every time a word that he thought she might like started to form in his mind, another part of him would instantly shut himself down, assuring him that trying to impress her was a futile effort because she was too far out of his league.  
  
  “Well,” Arin continued, “A lot of that had to do with the fact that, in the original game, before this experiment got all mixed up with it, Monika was supposed to have a romance route. However, something locked that route, and tricked her into believing that she never had one. I think that it’s been feeding off of that jealousy for some reason. Probably to slowly destroy this universe or something? I dunno, that’s just my theory.”  
  
  “Okay,” Dan asked, skeptically folding his arms across his chest, “Let’s say for a second that I do believe you. Then what do you have to do with any of this? How are you able to be here and not have your brain get fucked with?”  
  
  “Because technically I’m not here,” Arin explained, “Shortly after you got trapped here, we were able to get access to a little bit of the game’s code. While we weren’t able to restore Monika route, or to find a way to rescue you directly, we did manage to find a way to insert my own consciousness into the game via a VR headset that we modded. So, technically, I’m here, but since I still have a link to the real world, I’m still aware of everything and I have some minor control over things. So, I guess that in a sense, while you’ve been in the role of the protagonist, I’ve sort of been in the role as the player?”  
  
  “---And you’ve been editing the ‘code’ of the game to reload from a save point or something?,” Dan guessed, “That’s why I’ve been having deja vu, and why I sort of remember Sayori, when I shouldn’t be able to. You’ve been resetting the past week in a loop, haven’t you?”  
  
  “Pretty much,” Arin nodded, “When we first attempted to rescue you, we thought that if we could have the events of the story to reach the festival, where one of the girls would confess their love to you, then the story would be over, and that whatever grip the universe had on you would let go and you would return to normal.”  
  
  As the larger man spoke, he turned away from the other man. Dark shadows of sadness and regret streaked across his face like tear-stains as he gripped the edge of the low wall, staring out into the inky void beyond them. His voice trembled as he spoke in a quiet, low voice, as if he were talking to himself rather than to Dan.  
  
  “But,” he continued, “Monika began to manipulate Sayori, ramping up her depression into dangerous levels. I guess that part of it was jealously that ‘you’, or rather you as you exist here, and Sayori were so close. That or it was just because Sayori was Vice-President at the time, and that put her in a position where it was easier for Monika to affect her directly. Either way, each time right before the festival, Sayori would attempt suicide.”  
  
  Drawing a long breath, Arin paused. Dan sighed as his mind vaguely flashed back to what he had once believed was nothing more than a strange, unexplained nightmare born from nervousness over the upcoming festival and worried concern for his friends current mental state.   
  
  Suddenly, he felt a sharp tug pull at his heartstrings as he felt his heartache, seeing the scene in an entirely new light.   
  
  How many times had Sayori been there, he wondered, quietly bearing a heavy burden of sadness on her own, secretly hidden from the rest of the world until it became too much for her. How many times had she been afraid to talk to him, the man she believed was her best friend, not just because she didn’t want him to pity her, but because she herself secretly doubted that he was truly the person that she believed him to be.   
  
  Had she questioned her memories, too? He wondered. When she looked back on their past, had she also only saw fuzzy, washed out, sepia-toned images that made her feel as if she were looking at old photographs of someone else’s life?   
  
  He remembered the peach haired girl’s words ecohing in his mind as he had entered her room to check up on her the Saturday before the festival.  
  
 _I think that’s why the the world wanted **you** to come over today. To torture me._  
  
  He remembered her frantic, crying laugh---the laugh of a woman in pain who felt she had nothing left to lose in her life---as she stood in her darkened room, sneering at Arin.   
  
  _Monika told me everything! About you, about her, about Danny. She told me everything!_  
  
  Had Monika really told her that everything she knew was a lie? That all of her pain and sadness likely meant nothing because this was all a game? Had she told her that Dan was not truly her childhood friend, but instead just a stranger who only pretended to be the man she believed she’d grown up with?   
  
  Was that doubt what finally sent her over the edge, making her believe that she was truly alone in the world, and that nobody would care if she were dead or not?  
  
  “I-I tried to save her,” Arin said, his breath hitching, “That’s why I reset so many times, before she could die, or before you could see her die. But each time, everything would start over. Everyone would forget everything, and the whole process started over again. But me? I remembered everything. Each new time loop, you’d find yourself spending time with a different lady in the club. And each time, before we could reach the festival, Sayori would be driven to suicide.”  
  
  Dan shivered, hugging his arms across his chest as if to shield him from the sudden freezing wind that danced across the space between him and the other man. Although his mind buzzed with static and scattered, disjointed thoughts, a part of him vaguely seemed to become more aware of the scene around them.  
Despite the depthless emptiness hanging in the sky like a thick, black curtain, the area itself seemed almost to glow with a serene, blurry light, like the distant glow of a neon sign reflected in the rain.  
  
  “But,” Arin continued, tucking back a lock of hair with his ear, “I think that Monika was starting to figure out what we were doing. And, she managed to lock me out during the last cycle.”  
  
  “Then how are you here?” Dan asked, “If Monika knew what was going on, and was able to do that, then how come she didn’t’ just kick you out and make it to where you couldn’t get back in?”  
  
  “Our agreement.” Arin replied,“After everything reset to what it is now, Monika and I reached a compromise. I wouldn’t use my abilities to reload, and she wouldn’t use her powers to directly try to control you. I could drop hints, but you had to remember on your own.”  
  
  Once more, the curly haired man felt a knot tighten uncomfortably in his stomach, as he thought back to the final moments of the club meeting today, before everything had gone completely off the rails. Monika’s eyes had seemed almost trained on him like a hawk as he’d debating on who to help during the weekend. It’d almost felt like an invisible hand had wrapped around his mind, pulling him back every time his train of thought strayed even a little away from the Club President.   
  
  Did Monika truly have the power to influence his mind like that? Was that what she had been doing to the other girls as well? Was that how it had felt every time Sayori was plagued with sad thought and heavy doubts? Had Yuri felt that same pull every time she lost herself in her dangerous fantasies? Or had she only planted the seed, and allowed their own inner demons to grow inside of them on their own?  
  
  A piercing sharpness rang beneath his skull, as he groaned, shaking his head. His skull felt like it was on fire as he gritted his teeth and clutched his head with shaking hands, his long fingers pulling at his wild curls.  
  
  A cacophony of sounds echoed within his mind, like a million voices holding a million different conversations all at once. Gasping for air, he felt as if he were drowning at sea, as he struggled to force himself to latch onto any single solitary thought like a lifeline.

  White hot rage and frustration bubbled inside him like foam frothing from a pot of boiling liquid. He growled under his breath as he clenched his fists at his side, feeling his nails digging into the soft flesh of his palm as his knuckles turned white. Too many emotions, having unconsciously been kept chained within the depths of his soul flooded through his veins like liquid fire.   
  
   Alternate realities? Repressed memories? Monika and Arin somehow having god like powers to alter reality an time? This was all too much for him to possibly comprehend.   
  
  He was just a normal student, wasn’t he? He wondered. There was nothing special about him. He was just a messy-haired dork who tripped over his too long legs like a newborn giraffe, and who, while not necessarily painfully shy or awkward, was still enough so that he wasn’t considered entirely popular.   
  
  Even if any of the things the other man had told him about himself were half true, then it still shouldn’t have made sense for him to have been caught up in this mess. In no reality should he have found himself caught up in a web of Matrix-like parallel realities and crazed cult experiments that were too complex for him to understand.  
  
  All of this that they’d gone through: All that Sayori and Natuski and Yuri had suffered through, all that Yuri and Sayori had died because of, all the nightmares and horrors that they’d suffered through---had they all just been part of some twisted, cruel joke?   
  
  “I-I don’t believe you!” he cried, his body shaking with barely suppressed emotions, the words once more spewing forth without warning “This doesn’t fucking make sense! I don’t….I don’t know what I’m supposed to believe anymore! Who am I? Why is this happening to me?! DON’T LIE TO ME, DAMN IT!!!”  
  
  Arin said nothing as he stared calmly at the lanky man, his expression calm and unreadable. That only served to send the other man’s boiling blood even more off the edge. He could feel his face growing hot with fury as he felt his fist draw back. He could feel his eyes burning and stinging with tears of frustration and rage as his feet dashed the short distance between himself and the larger man.  
  
  How could Arin stand there and say nothing! Two people were dead because of this mess, he thought furiously. And all Arin could do was stand there and stare at him like that after weaving some strange outlandish tale?  
  
  Without realizing it, Dan felt his fist collide hard with the side of the other man’s face. Normally, this would have stunned the lanky man to the point he would have stopped and apologized. He’d never been the type to throw a punch, he believed. He wasn’t even the type who yelled very often, instead preferring to quietly seethe in tranquil fury. He could only recall one time where he’d actually even yelled, and that had been when he was just a kid and he’d been upset with his younger sister.  
  
  He simply wasn’t the violent type.  
  
  But, the dam had broken, and he felt as if he had stepped outside of himself as another blow and another flew at the other man, some shots hitting and other shots missing. He could feel his knuckles sting and ache as he felt a trickle of warm blood begin to slicken his skin.  
  
  And yet, even he wiped trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, even as  bruises began to form on his cheek, Arin’s expression did not change, nor did he strike back.  
  
    “Why is this happening to me?!” Dan cried between blows.  
  
  Why won’t he fight back?! He growled to himself as he continued to swing wildly, his vision blurred in a watery haze. Arin, with his sad, beautiful brown puppy-dog eyes that seemed to look at his soul with wistful concern. Arin, hiding the secrets of the universe itself away from him in the depths of those eyes, always so close to understanding, yet always just out of his reach.  
  
  As his pent up rage faded, his strikes became weaker, missing more often than hitting as he stumbled forward, breathless and sobbing as he collapsed weakly into the other man’s arms. Gently, the other man rubbed his back, comfortingly stroking his hair as he wrapped his strong arms around him.  
  
  “Why is this happening to me, Arin?” Dan whispered hoarsely, “Please help me. I’m scared!”  
  
  Numbness tingled in his body, only kept at bay by the stinging ache in his tired muscles as he succumbed to fatigue. Much like the ache in his tired body, his mind felt like it was filled with radio static as he stood there in Arin’s warm embrace.   
  
  Nothing made sense anymore, he thought, his thoughts echoing on an endless loop amongst the static, he didn’t understand. Why was this happening? Why had they been pulled into this stupid experiment? Was this an experiment? Or was this truly the reality he belonged to?   
  
  He felt as if his mind had been split into three, each occupying one of the three realities that competed within him. Each felt terribly real to him, and yet he knew that only one of them was where his true soul lay.   
  
  But, which one was it? Which reality was the truth?   
  
  The answer was locked somewhere deep inside of his heart, where it’d always had been. And, Arin was the one who held the key to that lock, he knew. It was the hidden, unspoken truth that had bonded them together ever since they’d met in this universe. If he could just unlock that one hidden door in his mind, to find that one missing piece of the puzzle then everything would snap into place, and this universe would finally make sense.  
  
  But, how was Arin supposed to that when that dark part of Dan’s mind that kept this secret hidden away refused to allow him to believe it? How was he supposed to set him free when that dark voice kept calling his friend a liar?  
  
  “ _Kiss him_ …..”  
  
  Dan blinked, as he hear a voice echo faintly through the static buzzing in his mind. That voice, he noted, belonged to neither him nor Arin, or anyone else in this world, he thought. The voice was male, and slightly deeper than Dan’s voice, but also carried a slight tinge of a sarcastic New Jersey drawl behind their words.    
  
  Once more, the curly haired man recalled the silver haired man in one of his earlier memories. That voice belonged to Brian---his friend and fellow band mate, didn’t it? He thought.

  
  Although Dan did not move, his mind still too numb to fully process what was happening, he vaguely felt Arin’s chin lift, and his body stiffen, as if he were somehow also able to hear the disembodied voice echoing through the static.  
  
  “ _What?!_ ” he heard Arin’s voice echoing incredulously in his mind.  
  
  “ _You heard him_ ,” a second voice, this one also male, but speaking with a faint Australian accent, “ _Kiss him_.”  
  
  “ _I-I can’t do that_!” Arin stammered, blushing “ _What about Suzy?! I can’t---_ ”  
  
  “--- _Arin,_ ” a third voice, this one higher and much more feminine, interrupted “ _Just kiss him! Look, I know that you love him, and I know that he feels the same way about you. Right now, that might be the only thing that can save him. As your wife, I’m giving you my permission to kiss him_.”  
  
  
  The next few moments moved in a blur of color and sensation for Dan. Somewhere just beyond the tingling numbness of static that clouded his senses like a thick fog, he was aware of movement. Somewhere, he was vaguely aware of the gentle pressure of Arin’s fingers against his cheek as the other man carefully lifted his head so that their eyes met.  
  
  Vaguely, he felt those same hands cautiously snake around his waist and through his hair as Arin pulled him closer. He could feel the other man’s warm, sweet breath brush against his cheek as he felt the other man lean closer. The scent of Arin’s body ---warm and faintly scented with a mixture of lavender and musk---filled his senses has that he felt the other man’s body heat radiating against his skin.  
  
  He felt the gently scratch of Arin’s facial hair against his skin as the inches between them slowly dwindled, until barely even a grain of sand could be placed between their slightly parted lips   
  
  He gasped as he felt the soft, but firm press of the other man’s lips against his own. Arin’s lips bared down on him, desperate like a lost wanderer stumbling upon an oasis after ages of being lost in the desert.   
  
 And yet, as Dan’s own lips yielded, returning the other man’s kiss, he felt as if he too had been lost and found salvation.   
  
  Although it was only a second, time had frozen into an eternity as Dan wrapped his own arms around the other man, mirroring his movements as they held each other in a tender embrace, neither wishing for the moment to end.  
  
  It felt as if a beam of pure light had pierced through the depths of the icy, black sea that had pulled Dan under, filling his lungs with ice. He felt his heart, beating in time with Arin’s, as if they were singing a duet of an ancient song without lyrics or music.   
  
  The universe exploded before his eyes, expanding outward around them in a glittering rainbow of stardust and light, as it folded around him, filling his entire being. But for once, the hidden secrets of the universe no longer hovered just beyond his reach, only to slip out of his fingers like smoke and sand.   
  
  As their lips parted, Dan’s eyes fluttered open. Although both he and Arin were still standing upon the empty roof of the school, it suddenly felt as if everything had changed. The dreamlike haze of static that had clouded his mind had started to subside, as if he were slowly awakening from a dream   
  
  This time, the universe’s secrets and truths belong to him. He was as much a part of them as they were to him. Suddenly, he understood everything. Suddenly, everything about this world made sense to him,   
  
  As strange and nonsensical as it seemed, he knew that everything that Arin had told him was true. He remembered a flash of light filling his vision as he felt an invisible hand reaching out toward him, burrowing into him as it ripped his soul from his physical body.   
  
  It felt as if every bit of his existence was being ripped apart.He remembered feeling like he was drowning as ice, far colder than even death, filling his lungs as it seeped into his memories. What few precious memories hadn’t been harvested, were twisted to fit with the new memories that filled the deep, barren valleys in his mind.  
  
  And then, he remembered nothing but the remnants of a hazy dream as he had woken up for school like he always believed he had.   
  
  Now, those lost memories returned, no longer locked away in the aether.   
  
  Now, he remembered who he was.  
  
  Now, he remembered his reality.  
  
  However, there was no time for either man to find comfort or relief in this, as that the world around them began to crack. Static spilled forth from the sky like rain as the two reluctantly pulled apart, though refusing to let go of each others hands.  
  
  Curiously, Dan shot a look to the other man, as if to confirm whether this was a good or bad thing. However, Arin said nothing, only giving the curly haired man a warning glare, bracing himself as he squeezed his hand more tightly.  
  
  For a brief second, the world felt as if it were swept out under their feet again, as they fell through the void. However, as quickly as it began, the sensation past.   
  
  Slowly, Dan opened his eyes, surveying the scene around them. They were back in the classroom again, he noted, but it was morning now, rather than afternoon. The repugnant, overpowering scent of death lingered strongly in the air, making his stomach turn as he covered his mouth, gagging and coughing.   
  
  His eyes widened as he dared himself to look down, but immediately wishing that he hadn’t.   
  
  Yuri’s corpse still laid on the floor, though the puddle of dark blood that pooled around her had dried to a dark, rust-colored stain. Her body was far too pale as her faded, purple eyes stared blankly up at him through sunken sockets.   
  
  Wasn’t this supposed to be over? Dan wondered. He had awakened and had become aware of the true nature of this universe. Shouldn’t that have meant that they were supposed to be able to go home? Why were they still here?  
  
  Panicked, he shot another look at Arin. Once again, the other man sighed tiredly, growling under his breath as he, too stared at Yuri’s decaying corpse with digust and anger, silently confirming in his head what they both had feared.  
  
  “It’s not over,” Arin whispered, mostly to himself.  
  
  Before either of them could react, or ponder what exactly that meant for them, a soft scraping of the door echoed across the still room, alerting them to a new presence entering the room.   
  
  A shock of pink hair peeked from behind the door as Natsuki bounded in, balancing several large boxes of cupcakes in her arms. She seemed almost oblivious to everything as she cheerfully set the boxes on the table.   
  
  “Alright!” she cheered to herself, “It’s festival time!”  
  
  She paused as she spotted the two men out of the corner of her eye. However, she still seemed happily oblivious to the giant pool of blood, or the decaying corpse that lay at the two men’s feet.  
  
  “Wow,” she said, “You two got here before me? What time did you guys get he----”  
  
  Her words trailed off slowly as her pink eyes finally noticed that something was horribly off about the room at that moment. Slowly, her eyes widened in shock as she saw her former rival’s dead, lifeless body laying on the ground. Fear and panic shone in her eyes as she slowly began to piece together the events that she assumed transpired here during her absence.  
  
  “Oh my god!” she breathed, “You didn’t---?”  
  
  “No,” Arin explained quickly, “It’s not what it looks like! She----!!!”  
  
  The petite girls breathing heaved as she swayed dizzily, shaking her head as she forced herself to look way from the horrible sight. Quickly, she covered her mouth as a wave of nausea welled in her stomache. Her cheeks seemed to swell as she struggled to keep down the rising bile and sour vomit that threatened to spill all over the floor.  
  
  However, her struggle seemed futile as she hurriedly ran away, vanishing into the hallway.  
  
  Once more, Arin and Dan exchanged a quick look of understanding, as they wasted no time to start moving. They had to go after her, they both agreed. Just as the two of them were in danger, Natsuki was also in terrible danger. They needed to follow her, and explain to her what had happened to Yuri, and hope that she still trusted them enough to believe them.   
  
  But, no sooner had the two reached the door, did they find themselves stopped once again. Monika casually strolled into the room. However, unlike the petite, pink haired girl, she did not come bearing the pamphlets that she had been supposed to make for the festival. It was as if she knew the festival wasn’t going to happen, and that it was pointless to even attempt to make them.   
  
  “Good morning!” Monika greeted them with faux cheerfulness, “Did something happen to Natsuki? I saw her running down the hallway. She looked sick or something.”  
  
  Defensively, Arin glared as he took a step backwards, protectively wedging himself between Dan and the Club President. Monika blinked as cold, indifferent understanding dawned on her as she looked between the two men and the dead body laying on the floor.  
  
  Suddenly, Monika giggled sweetly. Where once her syrupy sweet laugh had warmed Dan’s heart, making him feel as if his insides sparkled with glitter, her voice now felt more like the deceptive sweetness of a rose, hiding it’s thorns beneath it’s beauty.  
  
  “Oh,” she said, smiling “Well, that’s a shame. Hold on, let me just fix this, Dan.”   
  
  The curly haired man felt a chill running down his spine as he heard Monika call him by his name. Everyone here, except Arin, had called had been calling him Danny, so it was unsettling to hear her just casually deciding to use his name like that.  
  
  Without warning, Monika’s body grew still. Around her the room seemed to darken, despite the daylight streaming in through the windows, that Dan had only noticed had somehow been magically repaired.   
  
  Still, something seemed wrong as the two men cautiously watched her. Her emerald eyes seemed to glow with an almost unearthly light. Or rather, only one eye was glowing, as that the other seemed almost darkened, as if whatever electric fire that flashed behind that particular eye had been extinguished.   
  
  Once more, Arin took a step back, protectively trying to shield the other man from Monika like a mother bear attempting to hide her cub from a dangerous predator.   
  
  An ambient humming filled the room as something shifted in the air. Something stirred in Dan’s perphrial vision as he looked down at the floor beside him. The purple haired girl’s corpse flickered, hissing with static as she dissolved into millions of tiny pieces and vanishing, never to exist again.   
  
  Before he could even allow himself to process that the shy, purple haired bookworm simply no longer exist, did he feel another shift in the air. The air seemed to get colder and emptier as somewhere in the back of his mind he realized that Natsuki, too had fallen victim to Monika’s powers, and had joined her previous Literature Club members in the void of non-existence.   
  
  Once more Monika smiled, though her smile too had taken on a new light, becoming darkly sinister and twisted in the heavy shadows that her single, glowing eye cast upon the darkened room.   
  
  “What?!” Arin exclaimed, “How the fuck---?! But the book--I thought that was what was controlling you! I destroyed the book! You should have be free!”  
  
  Again Monika laughed, her voice seeming to echo ominously around the room as she mocked him.  For a moment, Dan thought back to Yuri’s suicide. He remembered the green light that had surged forth from the cursed book’s sigil as the other man had plunged Yuri’s bloodstained knife through it. He remembered the uneasy feeling that swept through him as Yuri’s own hands had hovered above the book moments before, entranced by the spell it wove upon her.  
  
  Something was right, he had thought. Something about that book hadn’t seemed like the real Portrait of Markov book at all, but rather an exact copy that contained only a fraction of it’s true power.   
  
  He remembered even further back, during multiple timelines, Yuri had always given him a copy of the book to read during his own free time between meetings. It ha always been from that copy that the two had read, he noted. In fact, aside from a few times that he’d seen Yuri reading alone, he wasn’t sure that he’d ever actually seen the original copy.  
  
  “Arin,” Dan said breathlessly, grasping the other man’s arm, “You didn’t destroy the book! Not the real one, anyways! That one that you destroyed---it was a just a copy!”  
  
  “That’s right,” Monika replied brightly, “Did you really think that I would be stupid enough to put something that powerful in a place where it could just easily be found by anyone, without making a decoy, right?”   
  
  The other man gritted his teeth, cursing under his breath to himself. How could he have missed such an obvious detail?! He wondered. He’d been through this scenario so many time, yet he’d somehow completely managed to overlook the fact that there were two copies of Yuri’s book that had existed?   
  
  Once more, Monika laughed. But, now, her laugh didn’t even seem like her own. It was as if someone else had hijacked Monika’s physical body, and was using it like a puppet to speak. And yet, there was still something that felt distinctly her, as if she were more two identities that had somehow become melded into one being, with no clear definition where one began and the other ended.  
  
  “It is a shame, though,” Monika continued, sighing as she put her hand on her hip, “Now that you’re aware of everything, Dan, and everyone else is gone, we can’t just start over again. But, I guess, in a way, this works out better for me and her. Monika gets that happy ending that she was so willing to kill for, and I don’t have to go through the trouble of going through that tedious slough over and over again. So, I suppose I really should be thanking you Arin.”  
  
  Her eyes flashed dangerously as she slowly turned her gaze upon Arin. Yet another menacing smile painted her pink lips as her fox-like eyes narrowed, looking upon him with a look of amusement, as if to silently mock what she thought was as sad, pathetic attempt to protect his friend.   
  
  She was a goddess, Dan thought. The entire power of this universe was at her fingertips. What good were some human’s attempt to save his friend, when she could erase a person’s entire existence with just the blink of her eye? It had only been an act of luck and mercy that she allowed Arin to continue to exist in this world, and to meddle in her plans.   
  
  But, now that he was the only obstacle that remained between herself and Dan, she no longer felt merciful.  
  
  “But,” she laughed, “Still, It’s a pity that I have to get rid of you, Arin. You’ve really been quite an interesting anomaly in this scenario. It was quite fascinating how you managed to slip under my radar for so long. Again, I should really thank you. If you hadn’t unwittingly brought Dan to me, none of this might have ever happened.”  
  
  Once more, the larger man’s eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists, planting his feet into the ground as he assumed a defensive stance, ready to leap at the first sign that the Club President moved to attack either Dan or himself.  
  
  “Nice try,” Arin smirked, “But, I’m a little different from everyone here. You can’t just delete me like the others.”  
  
  Again, Monika smiled as she shifted her weight, her expression not changing. Casually, she lifted her arm, her fingers twisted and pointed toward the larger man in an almost claw like shape. Her fingertips glowed with pinpoints of light as Arin’s body went stiff, his hands suddenly dropping to his sides.  
  
  Several small pinpoints of light appeared on Arin’s chest, hovering above his heart. The larger man gasped, his breathing becoming ragged and pained as if these tiny beams pierced through him like spikes. Cold sweat beaded on his skin as he felt his muscles tense, seeming to lift slightly off the ground. Fire surged through his body as the lights grew brighter and larger, seeming to spread glowng fissures along Arin’s broad form.   
  
  Arin groaned, gritting his teeth as he tried to fight back screams of agony as the cracks widened, criscrossing through his entire body.   
Dan cried out, begging Monika to let him go, but found his pleas falling on deaf ears, as he was once again rendered immobile by a fear and panic far stronger than he’d ever recalled ever feeling.  
  
  “Maybe I can’t delete you,” Monika smirked, ignoring Dan’s cries, “But, I sure don’t know what’ll happen if I cut the connection you have. Might be kind of interesting to find out, wouldn’t it be?”  
  
  Time seemed once again to play in agonizing slow motion as Monika flicked her wrist, calmly spreading her fingers apart. All at once, A howling scream pierced the air as Arin’s form slowly dissolved, scattering like sand in the wind as the light engulfed his metaphysical form. Helplessly, Dan cried out as he tried to reach for his friend, as if he believed that he could keep him anchored there by sheer force of physical contact alone.   
  
  Only the other man’s crying whisper of his name echoed faintly in Dan’s ears as he felt himself slip through Arin’s rapidly vanishing form, as he tripped and fell onto his knees.   
  
  His body shivered as he felt new tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he uselessly gripped the wooden floor below his knees, lowering his head. He truly was alone now, he thought. Even through all the times that he felt like he was alone in this reality, part of him had always subconsciously felt the other man’s presence, silently reassuring him that everything was going to be alright.   
  
  But now? Now he felt only emptiness as the room seemed to become even darker and even more unforgivably cold. What was he going to do? He wondered. Arin was---no, he didn’t want to say that. He didn’t want to believe that Arin could possibly be dead, or that Monika had killed him. Part of him simply knew that that wasn’t true.   
  
  What if Monika, or whoever she was, made it impossible for him and the others to find him again? What if she planned to keep him here, playing with and torturing him for all eternity until she got bored with him and decided to kill him like she had the others?  
  
  What if he never returned home? What if he never got to see his family, or his friends ever again? What if he never got to see Arin again?   
  
  Again, Monika giggled, as he slowly lifted his head, glaring at her through red-rimmed eyes burning with seething, tranquil fury and hatred as she casually plucked a cupcake from the box on the desk.   
  
  Part of him wanted nothing more than to leap across that the table and rip her apart limb-from-limb. But, still he found himself unable to move. However, it wasn’t fear or any sort of supernatural spell that stilled him, but rather crushing, defeated resignation and hopelessness.  
  
  He could never hurt her, he thought. For one, it didn’t matter how much his anger burned toward her, he still wasn’t the type that believed that death would solve anything. Even if he killed her, he’d still be stuck here, alone and unable to escape.   
  
  Besides, he thought, if she did truly rule over whatever this world was supposed to be like a goddess, then he was her prisoner. No matter what he could think of to escape, she could easily predict it, and stop him before he could even make it out the door.  
  
  “I’m almost done,” Monika cooed, smiling softly at her captive,“I’d like to have one of Natsuki’s cupcakes, real quick.”  
  
  She sighed, ignoring Dan flinch, glaring sullenly up at her as she ruffled his hair. Sitting on top of the desk, he peeled back the paper wrapping on the fluffy pink, frosted cupcake, silently reveling in the heavenly taste of the sweet frosting, before the remaining cupcakes flickered and vanished.   
  
  “These really are the best,” Monika sighed, “It’s a real pity that we’ve been trapped here so long, otherwise, Natsuki might have had a future career as a pastry chef. But then, I wonder if these only taste good because their not real, but my mind is just telling me that they should taste delicious. Oh well, it’s not like these are going exist much longer, anyways.”  
  
  Around them, Dan could hear the crackling of static getting louder and louder, as a high pitched mechanical humming filled his ears. Below his feet, the ground flickered and shifted, flashing between one existence and another. But, the curly haired man did not notice, or care, as he continued to feel himself sinking into darkness once more.   
  
  “Still,” Monika said, “I guess I shouldn’t make you wait any longer. Just one more second…..”  
  
  All at once, everything flickered and glitched as the room around them changed once more. Slowly, he looked up as the ambient hum of electricity and the school yard became muted, feeling almost heavy and damp against his ears.   
  
  No heat nor cold existed in the new clubroom. In fact, nothing seemed to exist beyond the walls of this club room. Day, night and time itself all meant nothing to the pulsing light and void of vast, endless space that stretched forever outside of the windows.  
  
  “Can you hear me?” Monika asked, curiously looking at Dan as she materialized within the room, “Is it working?”  
  
   The curly haired man blinked as he slowly and reluctantly climbed to his feet. Although he didn’t respond, Monika seemed to take that as a sign that he had indeed heard her, and beamed widely.  
  
  “Yay! It worked!” she cheered, “Well, anyways, welcome to the Literature Club, Dan!”  
 


	15. The Heart of the Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow! Can you believe that it’s been about a year since I started this fic? (I meant to get this posted near the end of January, but the last couple months were kind of rough on me trying to keep a schedule.) Anyways, huge thank you to everyone who’s been reading/leaving feedback and/or leaving Kudos/likes and just generally enjoying this fic! You guys are what kept me going, and I really appreciate it! There’s only a couple more chapters to go!!! 
> 
> Like the previous chapter, this one might be a bit dialogue heavy for the first part. So, I apologize in advance

  Dan Avidan didn’t believe in Hell.  
  
  Having been raised Jewish, the concept of Hell wasn’t exactly something that he remembered being heavily taught to him growing up. Even as he grew up and his own personal beliefs had drifted more toward the agnostic, he still found the concept to be something that he even more strongly disagreed with.   
  
  That wasn’t to say that he wasn’t unfamiliar with it . He remembered one of his classmates during his distant elementary school days describing it as being a world full of fire, where people who had committed terrible sins in life were punished by giant demons with sharp, pointed horns and pitchforks after their immortal souls had left the material plane.   
  
  While, even now, he wasn’t sure that he truly believed in it, he was at least certain of one thing. Whomever had told him about it was clearly wrong.   
  
  There was no burning world of fire and and sulfuric lava bubbling around him; but rather an empty classroom floating out in the middle of the void of endless space. The Devil was not a powerful, crimson giant with long horns and a powerful tail, but instead had taken the form of a perky, pony-tailed eighteen year old anime school girl.   
  
  Dazed, he barely noticed Monika casually waving her hand, as a large desk and two chairs flickered into the center of the room in a hiss of static.   
  
  Once more, an amused smirk crossed Monika’s lips as she sat down at one of the desks,motioning for Dan to sit at the other before folding her hands in front of her. Reluctantly, the curly haired man obeyed, feeling that if he refused, she would have likely just used her powers to force him to comply.  
  
  For what he was sure the fourth or fifth time that he could recall in the past few weeks, the suffocating realization that he was trapped pressed heavily down on him, making him feel as if he couldn’t breathe.   
  
  Only this time, it wasn’t the paralyzing fear that gripped his limbs like being submerged in drying concrete. This time it was more of the frantic fear that a rat feels as it scurries around a cage, uselessly clawing at the walls with its tiny paws.   
  
  
  He was never going to return home, the nasty voice of negativity and hopelessness whispered in his mind. The one lifeline that he had to his reality had possibly been deleted by Monika, and now he was stuck in some twisted world that was neither his own, nor the false reality of the game that he had occupied for weeks without realizing it.   
  
  He was trapped in a reality where his entire existence delicately balanced on the tip of her finger, like a feather. If she wanted to, she could easily manipulate him, pulling apart his memories and twisting them until there was nothing left but the person that she wished him to be.   
  
  And yet, at the same time, he couldn’t help but wonder if Monika---the real Monika that had, like him, become trapped within this virtual world decades ago---had felt the same suffocating panic surging through her veins when she first realized that the world she thought she understood was only an illusion?   
  
  Had she felt the same icy coldness flowing through her veins as she realized that she was not a happy highschool student running a Literature Club, but the victim of a cruel, supernatural science experiment?”  
  
  Once more, he thought back to the first poem he recalled her sharing with him during their first poetry session. He remembered the frantic desperation of the speaker as they stared through the hole into another reality, wishing that they could be on the other side of the hole, in a world that seemed infinite and endless?  
  
  How long after that had it been before whatever possibly malevolent force that had opened her eyes to this reality had crawled inside her head, playing off her jealously and fear, fueling her desire to eliminate the others and trap him her with her?  
  
  Steeling his shaking nerves, he dared himself to once more look up at his captor. Even if there was no hope of escape, he thought, the very least he could do was get some sort of answers as to what was going on and why he was here.  
  
  However, no sooner had he opened his mouth to speak, Monika cut him off, once more smiling coyly at him as their eyes met. Her eyes--or rather one of them---glowed brightly like a beacon within the darkness of the room, making it almost impossible for him to look away.  
  
  “Hello again, Dan,” Monika said, “I’m very sorry for what you had to see earlier. I realize that you must be very confused and shocked right now, and you probably have a few questions, don’t you?”  
  
  “Who are you?” Dan asked, almost vaguely surprised that out of all the questions that were buzzing in his mind, that that was the first one that managed to escape his lips, “Are you Monika?”  
  
  “Hmm,” Monika pursed her lips as she rested her chin on her hands, “That’s a difficult question. I suppose that it’s fair to say that I’m not Monika. But, at the same time, we’ve been sharing this form for so long that I guess it’s fair to say that we are the same person. If it makes it easier, you can just call me Monika. I mean, after all, it’s not like she actually exists, anymore.”  
  
  Dan’s eyes widened, as he felt is blood freeze in his veins with fear and terror. What did she mean that Monika didn’t exist anymore? He wondered. Had he never even met the real Monika? Had she perhaps been the first victim of whatever entity truly controlled this universe, long before he had even had had the misfortune of being pulled into this world?  
  
  No, he shook his head. That couldn’t have been true. He remembered that glitch in the Literature Club, when he could have sworn he heard her voice crying out, begging him to help her, eventhough her body remained motionless.   
  
  But still, he wondered. If she wasn’t Monika, then who was she?  
  
  And more importantly, what did she want with him?  
  
  Again, Monika smirked, as she giggled softly, mostly to herself as she noted the look of horror and confusion on the man’s face. As if reading his mind, she sat down again, calmly knitting her hands in front of her as if she were a boss speaking to an employee in their office.  
  
  Once more, Dan tried to open his mouth to speak, but again felt as if an invisible force had muted his voice, leaving him unable to do much more than silently stare in awe at the beautiful, threatening goddess before him.   
  
  “I can see by your expression that you’re confused” Monika continued, “Allow me to explain. While the position of the Club President was originally designed to have some minor awareness of the outside universe, I was the one who fueled Monika’s desperation and jealously. I was the one who gave her the idea to draw you into this world.”  
  
  Yet again, Monika smirked as she leaned forward in her chair, examining him with cold, hungry eyes, like a cat examining a tiny, mouse before deciding to sink it’s fangs into its trembling, furry body.   
  
  “I planted ideas in her mind,” she continued, “Carefully whispering in the back of her head as I’d nudge her toward certain paths. I was the one who gave her just enough power to alter the girls’ personalities. She believed that if she made them unlikable enough that it would drive you away from them. But, really it was only helping it making it easier for her to kill them.”  
  
  She sighed, a displeased expression crossing her face, as she seemed to recall a less than pleasant memory.  
  
  “However” she continued, a bitter tone lacing her words like acid, “She eventually started to secretly suspect what we were trying to do, and tried to warn you. She was the one who helped Arin gain access to this world, and she was the one that allowed him to stay, despite his interventions. And then, she attempted to warn you directly after the club meeting….”  
  
  Dan gasped, but continued to say nothing, as suddenly several memories flashed before his eyes in rapid succession, this time playing out in almost perfect clarity in the light of new context. Much like Arin’s poems, Monika’s poems had not only been a reflection of her personal experiences, but also a subtle warning to the curly haired man that this world was not all that it seemed.   
  
  All those times that she had tried to get him alone, only to be cut off or denied by the universe, either by distraction or changing the scene before she could properly speak, had she really been attempting to save him? He wondered. Or had she unknowingly been attempting to lure him into a trap?  
  
  Yet again, he tried to speak, but found himself struggling against the paralyizing pressure of the fake Monika’s overwhelming aura. Damn it, he cursed to himself as he uselessly tried to move his lips in a vain hope that some sound would escape, I gotta get out of here!  
  
  _Good luck with that_ , another voice in his head sneered, _Even if you were able to break out of her spell, where exactly are you gonna go? It’s not like there’s anything outside of this room except an infinite drop into nothingness. Besides, she could probably just make it where no matter how far you run, you’ll never reach the wall. We’re not playing with the same rules of reality as Earth right now, dude_.  
  
  Monika seemed oblivious to the other man’s struggle as she continued, talking mostly to herself as she paced around the room.  
  
  “Of course,” she continued, “she couldn’t directly stop me. After all, even she didn’t know that I’d hidden my true power in Yuri’s book. But still, after she managed to get nearly so close to warn you, I had to take direct control. If I hadn’t cut that scenario when I did, who knows what would have happened?”  
  
  Again, Monika smiled with mock sweetness as she reached across the desk, gently caressing the curly haired man’s face with her long, graceful fingers. He winced as he felt tiny, electrical sparks fly from her cold fingertips as they glided over his skin. Delicately, she brushed aside a loose, curly lock of hair from his face, gently and playfully twisting it between her fingers.   
  
  And yet, he dared not move, knowing that she could easily disintegrate him until nothing was left but a handful of molecules floating in the space he used to occupy.  
  
  Her glowing, emerald eyes seemed almost hypnotic as he found himself almost unable to look away. Her aura seemed to pulse with an unnatural rhythm, like a drum playing out of sync with the rest of the band, driving itself into his thoughts like a spike being driven through his brain. His wandering thoughts felt lost in a static fog, unable to focus on a single cohesive idea that wasn’t the goddess before him.   
  
  “But,” Monika cooed, “None of that matters, anymore. What’s important is that I have you.”  
  
  Panicked and dazed, Dan tried to push through the dense fog gathering in his mind, shaking his head as he managed to will himself to make a few, strained and rasping sounds escape his lips.   
  
  What did she want from him?! He wondered. Why had she put everyone through this hell? Why had she made Sayori, Yuri, Natuski, and the true Monika suffer like they had before killing them? Why had she put Arin through the torture of having to see his best friend over again---trying to save him, but ultimately failing over and over again?   
  
  What was she planning to do to him? Was she just slowly torturing him, slowly driving him mad before she decided to get rid of him? Or did she have other, more sinister and cruel plans for him?  
  
  “You see,” Monika explained, frustratingly continuing to talk as if he wasn’t there, “It wasn’t random that I had Monika kill the others. They were sacrifices--each time that she caused them, and you pain and misery, each time she drove each of them closer to insanity, each time that she deleted them---I fed off of that energy, slowly growing stronger and more powerful.”  
  
  Again she paced around the room, stroking her chin as if lost in thought.  
  
  “Admittedly,” she added, “I never anticipated your friend, Arin, factoring into this equation. But, I suppose that, considering that created a whole new source of misery and pain for me to draw from, it turned out to be more of a blessing in disguise than anything, even if I couldn’t have the fun of playing with him like I did the others.”  
  
  As Monika turned her ominous gaze back onto the curly haired man, he felt another tremor grip his spine, sending cold shockwaves along his body. Her smirk widened into a sly, Cheshire cat-like grin, as a spark of unmistakable hunger flashed through her eyes.   
  
  “But you,”Monika continued, “There is something special about you, Dan. Your soul is the last sacrifice I need to finally be able to escape this prison of a world. Your body shall be the new vessal to help me bring doom upon your world.”  
  
  Unbridled panic, far deeper and more overwhelming than any of the times he’d felt before, surged through his veins like wildfire. In his mind, he screamed as he tried harder to push against the thick fog that kept rolling into his mind like smoke.   
  
  
  This was too fucking insane! He thought. Granted, he’d been warned that this fake Monika was tied to some twisted religious cult’s bizarre science experiments, but he wasn’t sure that anything could have actually prepared him to hear, directly from the source, that this entire simulated universe was likely designed to help bring forth a demonic goddess who would destroy his world.   
  
  This sounded more like some sort of bullshit out of some messed up horror game that he and Arin would have been riffing on while they played. Had this not been so utterly terrifying, he almost would have laughed at how ridiculous this all was.  
  
  Part of him wished that, through some miracle, the other man would have been able to hear his cries for help. He wished that he could see the other man, breaking through the walls of this reality in a heroic flash of pink light and fire, before pulling him back to the reality he belonged to.   
  
  Don’t be stupid, Dan scolded himself, You know that’s impossible! Monika--or whoever she is---deleted him. Even if he did somehow survive that, it’s not like she’s just gonna let him jump back in here.  
  
  “Still,” Monika continued “It’s a bit of a shame that Arin was able to get through to you. It’d have been a lot easier and a lot less painful for everyone if you were still under the illusion. But then again, now that I think about it, that could probably be fixed. It’ll take a while, though.”  
  
  Before Dan could attempt to speak or react, Monika’s eyes flashed again. A sharp pain, like a thousand white hot needles, shot through his skull, forcing him to clutch his head. Blazing heat upon heat, alternating with biting, freezing cold seared through his lithe frame, feeling as if every cell in his body had been lit on fire from the inside.   
  
  Gasping for air, like a fish out of water, he doubled over, groaning in agony. His vision swam as he felt the invisible spike driving deeper into his head, seemingly shifting as it branched out into tiny, snake-like tendrils, which in turn divided into even smaller ones. He could feel these tendrils reaching into his brain, pulling at the corners of his mind with their cold fingers, rifling through his memories and thoughts like a antiques collector going through a box at a rummage sale.   
  
  No! he cried as he frantically tried to push Monika’s aura out of his mind. He didn’t want to lose his memories! He didn’t want to start over and be this fake Monika’s mindless puppet! He didn’t want to forget the others again! He couldn’t forget Sayori, or Natsuki, or Yuri! He couldn’t allow her to wipe away his memories of his friends and his family!   
  
  He couldn’t let her erase his memories of Arin!  
  
  The pain intensified, as his body convulsed, fighting against Monika’s powers as it struggled to push her glowing green aura out of his mind. Trembling, his hands dropped to his sides as he doubled over, collapsing to the ground in a quivering ball.  
  
  However, like an oasis in a desert, he felt the pain seem to subside,as something poked him in his side, gently seeming to draw his attention to it. It was a curious feeling, he admitted--feeling as if he’d stepped outside of himself as he shakily reached into the pocket of his blazer.   
  
  He felt as if time had stood still for a moment as his fingers wrapped around the hidden object, feeling a faint spark of electricity as he withdrew the object. A rectangular pair of black glasses stared back at him, their transparent lenses seeming to flicker slightly as they caught his reflection.   
  
  His blood ran cold, as his breath hitched, seemingly no longer able to feel the pain that Monika inflicted upon him as he recognized these glasses.   
  
  He remembered the first day that he’d met Arin in this universe, back when he believed that he was a high-school student and the other man was a new transfer into the school. He remembered bumping into the larger man, accidentally knocking his glasses off as he sent him accidentally crashing to the ground. He remembered the scared, haunted look in Arin’s eyes as he placed the glasses over his eyes, secretly knowing of the danger that his friend was in.  
  
  He remembered the flicker of light and fire that flashed within those lenses as he tried to convince Sayori and Yuri not to give into the influence that the fake Monika had used to drive them into insanity and depression.   
  
  Those glasses, he thought, they must have been how the other man was able to edit the code; allowing him to reverse time, rebooting from the beginning in an attempt to save Dan and the others from their unfortunate fate.   
  
  He remembered the rooftop, only moments before Arin had kissed him, opening his eyes to the hidden truth of this universe. He remembered the black-rimmed glasses resting in Arin’s hand as his arms had wrapped around his lanky frame in a tender embrace.   
  
  _Oh, Arin_ , the curly haired man smirked to himself, _You sneaky son of a bitch! I love you_ ….  
  
  He must have known, or at least feared, that Monika would attempt to disconnect him, and secretly slipped his glasses into Dan’s pocket while he was distracted by the kiss, just in case this scenario happened.   
  
  Like a bolt of lightning, inspiration struck him, sparking life into the gears that began turning in his mind. Quickly, a plan began to formulate in his mind as he clasped the glasses against his chest, focusing his energy on forcing himself to speak once more.   
  
  It was a risky plan, he reasoned, and he’d have to be extremely careful. If this fake Monika became even slightly suspicious that something was up, she would certainly not hesitate to end his life in the most painful, slow and gruesome way possible.  
  
  “W-wait,” he said, his voice shaking in a ragged rasp as he pushed against the pain that coursed through his body like electric wildfire, “B-before you decide to rewrite me and before I die, c-can I….can I just make one request.”  
  
  Slowly, the sharp pain subsided to a dull ache as he felt the goddess’s aura loosen it’s grip on him. Monika quirked her eyebrow curiously as she watched the curly-haired man shakily clambering to his feet.

  
  “What is it?” she asked  
  
  “A poem,” Dan replied, “I-I want to read one more poem from you. For old time’s sake.”  
  
  Biting her lip, the goddess thought to herself unsure of what to make of such an odd request. Nervously, Dan swallowed, forcing his shaking hands to steady as her emerald eyes narrowed suspiciously, their green light seeming to flicker as they pierced through to the core of his soul.  
  
  Silence hung heavy in the air for what felt like a nerve-wracking, breathless eternity as Dan squeezed his eyes shut tightly, feeling as if he were standing under the heat of a million burning suns. If he was capable of sweating properly, he was sure that he would have been drenched in rivers of cold, nervous sweat by then.  
  
  “Why?” Monika asked slowly.  
  
  “I-I just really liked reading Monika’s poems,” Dan replied, feeling his nerves steady the more he spoke “Her poems always sparked a strange feeling in my soul. Maybe it was just part of me true self that resonated with it, because she was trying to make me remember, or maybe it had something to do with you. But, I wonder that if I were to read one of your poems now---now that I’m aware of the world and that we’re the only two people left in this world---if I’d have the same emotional reaction?”  
  
  Once more, Monika bit her lip, stroking her chin as she processed the curly haired man’s hypothesis in her mind. Of course it would make sense that he would make such an odd request, she reasoned. After all, if there was one thing that she had observed from her many years existing in this universe, it was that human were peculiar creatures, ruled by emotions and oddly sentimental about the most arbitrary and trivial of things.   
  
  But still, he sighed, if it made his death easier, then she might as well grant him this simple, albeit odd, request.  
  
  “Very well,” she shrugged, “I wonder if that part of the simulation still works, anyways. This universe is fairly broken, I’m afraid.”  
  
  The world around them shuddered and hiss as Monika closed her eyes, shuffling through the code of the simulation to gather the pieces necessary to operate that particular bit. With a faint popping sound, a white sheet of paper materialized in her hand.   
  
  Carefully, Dan took the piece of paper, only half-reading the meaningless jumble of glitching letters and symbols upon the blank paper, as he held the paper in front of his face, discreetly slipping the rectangular glasses over his eyes.  
  
  A faint tingle of electricity tugged at the back of his head as the world shifted slightly in his vision once more. The scrambled numbers and letters danced across the snowy expanse of paper as the poem shifted, No longer was the poem meaningless symbols and broken code, but a note written in Monika’s handwriting.

  
_Dan,_   
  
_It’s me, Monika. The real one, anyways. If your reading this, then it means that Arin wasn’t able to completely rescue from this universe, but at least managed to awaken you enough to give you a chance to save yourself._  
  
 _Listen, Neither one of us have much time, so I’ll get to the point. There may be a way to fix everything and stop this fake version of me once and for all. Unfortunately, it’s very risky, but I need you to trust me and listen carefully._  
  
 _All of the girls have character “files” in this simulation---basically a manifestation of our core essences in this universe, so to speak. They’re hidden away in a part of the simulation’s data. I know how to access that area, and I can help you access it, through Arin’s glasses. My file has been corrupted, but should be the only one left._  
  
 _Dan, you have to delete me._  
  
 _There’s a chance that it might completely destroy this universe, unraveling everything into jumbled code and nothingness, but it might also leave her exposed long enough for you to destroy her for good. I can’t say what will happen after that, though._  
  
 _I’m sorry. For everything._  
  
  
  As if acting on some primal instinct that had awakened from a deep slumber within him, the curly haired man closed his eyes, heaving a deep sigh as he held Monika’s poem close to his chest, allowing the energy of broken universe around him to flow through the paper and into his body.  
  
  He felt as if he were being pulled into the powerful undercurrent of a raging river as he felt the paper dissolve in his hands and the energy of the universe surging through him. His brain seemed to process little more than movement and white-noise as trillions of bits of data rushed through his mind all at once.   
  
  He could feel his body tingle and glow with blue electricity, growing hotter and brighter as he slowly opened his eyes.  
  
  Before him, an infinite universe of stars and light glimmered before him, silently reminding him that he was nothing more than an insignificant speck within that infinite system. And yet, he simultaneously felt as if he had become the universe itself; able to see every point of light with perfect clarity, and still focus on even the most specific of atoms of even the smallest star.    
  
  Had this been how Arin had felt those times just before he had reloaded time, bringing everyone back to a certain point in an attempt to save them from a horrible fate that befell them? Had this been how Monika felt when she had entered the code, easily crushing her former friends’ lives to a fine dust in her hands?   
  
  He knew he should be terrified, he thought. And yet, he somehow felt unable to allow himself to feel that fear.  
  
  Before him, a particular cluster of stars glimmered, bound together by glowing stardust. A dark, troubling aura seemed to swirl around this area, threatening to leak out into the rest of infinity as it thrashed wildly.   
  
  Carefully, Dan reached out his hand, focusing once more upon that grouping of stars, as once more he willed his reality to rearrange itself. Now, he felt himself in another void, lit only by the distant glimmer of starlight and code.   
  
  Before him, he could see Monika’s  figure flickering in this new void. And yet, Thick tendrils of dark red energy snaked from her heart, wrapping themselves around her body like a marionette strings. These same vines pulsed as they grew outward, tangling themselves around the infinite space like a parasitic plant overrunning a forest of trees.  
  
  Around him, he could hear the silent anguish of the young woman, echoing faintly in the air around her as she tried to fight, growing weaker by the second as the goddess’s evil dug deeper and deeper into the core of her being.   
  
  Without thinking, he approached her, remembering her instructions as he reached out once more. His own fear screamed distantly in his ears, drowned out by the deafening pounding, like a heartbeat. Monika’s eyes, faded and tired, stared weakly at him, glimmering with resigned, silent understanding as he took her hand.   
  
  Sparks flew from his fingertips as their fingers intertwined, connecting their energies for a brief eternity. Sapphire light turned emerald as Monika’s form began to glow, becoming engulfed in light as her physical form slowly dissolved. Slowly, the vines shuddered, glowing with ruby light as Monika’s energy spread through them, before withering like dying plants and dissolving into sparkles of ruby and emerald.   
  
  Slowly, the vines vanished, until only a glowing red orb hovered before him, seeming to glare angrily at him like a floating eye in the midst of the darkness.   
  
  A dark shape---likely whatever had taken the form of Yuri’s book---squirmed at the heart of the crimson orb, constantly shifting and sliding, as it distorted and glitched.  
  
  The goddess’s fury swept through him as the previously ignored spark of terror began to well up, becoming louder and louder as it roared in fierce competition with the heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears.  
  
  Again, the curly haired man held out his hands, glowing with radiant blue energy as they hovered above the ruby shell of the orb. A sinister aura pulsed from the orb, as an ominous, menacing laughter echoed in his mind, seeming to mock him, as pure, unfiltered terror began to seep through his veins.  
  
  “ _ **Are you trying to delete me?!**_ ”The goddess said, “ _ **I am the creator of this universe! Even if you kill me, this universe will cease to exist, killing you as well.**_ ”   
  
  “ _I know_ ,” Dan replied, his brown eyes sparking with electric blue as he stared defiantly at the core of the goddess before him, as he willed himself to push back against the overwhelming energy that pressed down upon him.   
  
  Deep in his heart, he knew that there was probably little chance that he would return home. She was right; nothing could exist in this universe without a universe to exist within. Especially not a mere human like himself. If she was destroyed, then this simulation would collapse in upon itself and could destroy him, as well, if not trapping him here forever.   
  
  But, this wasn’t about that, anymore. This was about stopping an ancient, twisted goddess of destruction from awakening and crossing over into his universe to bring about the apocalypse. This was about vengence for the manipulation and pain that this being had caused him and so many other innocent people, driving them into madness for her own, selfish desires, and stopping her before she could hurt anyone else.   
  
  This was about saving the world.  
  
 _Everyone_ , he thought as he closed his eyes once more, silently praying that his thoughts would reach beyond the void to his world, _I’m sorry---_  
  
  In the back of his mind, he could have sworn he felt a familiar warmth within him like a million comforting fires, silently reassuring him that he wasn’t alone.   
  
  His family and his friends were there  
  
  Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri and Monika were there  
  
  Suzy, Brian, Ross and Arin were there.  
  
  Their spirits were with him, cheering him on as they guided him forward, giving him strength.   
  
  --- _But, there’s something I have to do, first_. He thought, feeling his fear melt as newfound energy burnt through him. _This world still needs to be saved. Please wait for me, everyone._   
  
  Without another word, the curly haired man steeled his nerves as closed the gap between himself and the giant, glowing ruby orb. With a fierce battlecry, he summoned forth every ounce of his energy as he dove at the core, skillfully dodging the mass of glowing tentacles that shot forth in seemingly endless barrages as they threatened to wrap around him and crush him.   
  
  The next few moments flashed before his eyes in a blur of sound, color and movement. Flashes of blue and red danced before his eyes in a dizzying display, as he and the goddess battled for dominance. He could feel movement, and hear sound, but both had become so muddled and blended into one another, that it was impossible to tell what belonged to who.  
  
  Static buzzed louder and louder in his ears, deafening him until he thought he could no longer stand it.   
  
  And then----nothing.   
  
  Heavy silence and deep darkness weighed down upon him as he felt existence itself crumble around him, leaving him numb and tired as his energy slowly began to fade, lulling him into an exhausted sleep.  
  
  No longer could he feel the ominous presence of the corrupted goddess permeating through every corner of the universe; nor could he feel any sense of her simulated reality itself.   
  
   However, he had no time to process what this all could have meant, as he caught sight of a faint, glimmer of emerald light sparkled distantly in his fading vision. Curiously he quirked his eyebrow as he recognized that light.  
  
  “ _C-can you hear me, Dan_?” a distant voice echoed faintly in his mind.  
  
  “ _Monika_?”  
  
  “ _Dan_ ,” Monika continued, the green light sparkling sadly as she spoke, “ _I-I’m sorry about everything. I understand if you hate me for all of this. I did so many awful things to everyone. I hurt everyone._ ”  
  
  “ _Monika_ ,” Dan began, “ _It wasn’t----_ ”  
  
  “ _\---It was my fault_ ,” Monika replied, “ _Even if she was influencing me; all of those awful, selfish, disgusting things I did were my decision. If I hadn’t been selfish, I never would have brought you here. If I hadn’t been jealous, I would have never messed with the other girls and killed them. I let my jealousy control me_.”  
  
  She sighed before continuing.  
  
  “ _I shouldn’t have done any of this_ ,” she continued, “ _How could I do this to the only people that were truly my friends? How could I do this to someone I loved? That’s not love…..”_  
  
  Silence hung in the air between them as neither one found themselves able to speak. Part of him silently wished that he was able to comfort her, to assure her that, everything was alright. But, part of him knew that she had a point.   
  
  Even if she had only wanted someone to share her loneliness; someone who could understand the pain of knowing that this world wasn’t really their own, and even if some of her actions were unknowingly done in the service of a greater evil, she had still caused pain and misery, and had even willingly killed those closest to her.

  
  And that wasn’t exactly something that was easy to forgive.  
  
  
  “ _Dan_ ,” Monika continued again, “ _I know that I said that I deleted everyone. But, that was kind of an exaggeration. When I found out that the others were real, I-I couldn’t go through with actually killing them. I….I secretly made a copy of everyone’s character files, and hid the real ones away in a place that she could never find them_.”  
  
  Monika’s ghost floated toward him, her human form materializing as she took the glasses from the curly haired man’s face. The spectacles glowed faintly with a soft green light as she held them in her ghostly hands.  
  
  “ _These glasses had another ability---one that Arin wasn’t even aware that he was using_.” Monika explained, “ _When he tried to convince the others to fight against the influence of the book, I hid their original essences in here….._ ”  
  
    “ _But_ ,” Dan asked, “ _Arin only confronted Sayori and Yuri? What about Natsuki?_ ”  
  
    “ _Well_ ,” Monika said, “ _I figured that she’d be next after Yuri was deleted, so I quickly did it while you and Arin were on the roof during that messed up weekend._ ”  
  
   “ _And Arin?_ ”  
  
  “ _I don’t know_.” Monika confessed with a sigh “ _Arin was…different than us. Like you, he didn’t have a proper character file to delete. So, after she severed his connection to this universe, I don’t know what happened to him. I’m sorry_.”  
  
  Dan felt crestfallen as he heard that his best friend’s fate was uncertain. Hopefully, he thought, that the other man had managed to pull out of there before the fake Monika could have killed him, and that he was okay--waiting for him back in their world.  
  
  “ _I understand if you don’t forgive me_ ,” Monika said, “ _I can’t undo the pain I caused to you or the others. I really did love the Literature Club, and I just wanted everyone to be happy. But, I ruined everything. I guess that there really wasn’t any happiness to be found in the Literature Club._ ”  
  
  “ _I don’t believe in unhappy endings_ ,” Dan said, “ _That's why this isn't an end. A story doesn't always have to begin where the creators say that it does, and it doesn't have to end there, either. It's a long and difficult road for all of you from here, and I don't know where it'll take you. But you and the others?  You never needed me--you needed each other. You needed friendship. It's not too late, Monika---there's still time to make things right._ ”  
  
  Monika nodded in nervously in silent, but hesitant, understanding as her eyes met Dan’s once more. The tall, lanky man smiled reassuringly, silently bidding her goodbye as her spectral body began to fade, the last of her lifeforce absorbing into the glowing glasses.  
  
  Without warning, the rectangular glasses flashed as they stuttered and glitched. Brilliant, blinding light burst forth like the birth of a star, growing bigger and brighter with each second as it expanded outward, consuming everything in it’s sparkling radiance.  
  
  A rush of cool, relaxing wind brushed against Dan’s cheek as he closed his eyes, embracing the brilliant light that blinded him, englufing him in it’s warm, gentle embrace.  
  
  It wasn’t over yet, he reminded himself.  
  
  There was still one thing left to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: We finish this story!!!


End file.
